Hyperdimension Neptunia VI: Viral Insurrection
by Kurogami Ryujin
Summary: Viral monsters are on the rise as hordes wreak havoc across Gamindustri. The CPUs and Candidates once again work together to control this menace with the help of the Characters - powerful beings from various other worlds created by people's dreams and ideals. But is it really just another problem in an everyday Gamindustri or is it a crisis two dimensions must come together for...
1. Another Day for a Nep to Play?

Gamindustri – the world of Console Patron Units and their nations vying for supremacy in the Console Wars. It has been years since the defeat of the Deity of Sin and the crisis imposed by Rei Ryghts. Life seemed to go on as usual in this tranquil world. If only…

"NEPTUNE! When are you going to drop that controller and start working?!"

If only Histoire's ruptured digestive track that is the result of screaming and suffering under the laziness of Planeptune's CPU is excluded.

Ever since those crises, life has always been like this for the Planeptune Basilicom. Tranquil (if you could consider a tiny fairy yelling all day every day that) it may be; some characters just can't seem to relax even in-between major Neptunia titles…

"Hold on, Histy! This game I borrowed from Noire is really rad…" Neptune said as fast as she could, "and really Nepping me up! I haven't played this kind of game for centu-GAH!" And Neptune gasps her heart out after she nearly 'died.'

However, someone else is going to die if she doesn't comply with a certain Oracle. Unable to resist a nerve popping, Histoire did what others wouldn't: she spawns a small fraction of her Universe SP Skill and…

"GET. OFF. OF. THAT. GAME. AND. GET. WORKING!"

…blasts Neptune's console into tiny bits.

Gaped at the sight of her favorite Neptune Console in smoke and smithereens, the CPU turns to her Oracle and starts… crying?

"Histy, how could you?!" She cried, "I was about to off that Nameless King after so long!"

" _You were more worried about your game than your console?"_ Histoire thought.

Neptune, kneeling, grabs some pieces of her hardware, clasping them lightly with one hand before letting them drop. Like the sands of a lonely beach, she watches on in loneliness and regret the loss she's gone through.

Ignoring the melodramatic CPU, Histoire approaches the pile and telepathically lifts a select few shards of a CD.

"If you start working earnestly, then I will fix your console."

Just as Histoire said that, the CD shards floating beside her started reassembling until they became whole again.

"Whoa! Coolios! When did Emiya teach you that?!"

"When I read the manual on 'How to deal with lazy CPUs' on page 123,456,789,ABC,DEF of the tome my creator left. Apparently, I have full jurisdiction in destroying consoles and other distractions whenever a CPU refuses to do her job."

Neptune gulps.

Just then, Nepgear comes in with a tray of snacks that she supposedly whipped for her dear older sister. All her cheerful smiles get replaced by confusion at the sight of a smoking console… heap.

"What the goodness?! What happened to our console?!"

Noticing Nepgear's presence, the Oracle perked up only to see the tray in Nepgear's hands and feel irritated once more.

Before Histoire could speak her mind, Neptune jumps in and glomps her little sister begging for comfort. As usual, Nepgear pets her dear sister after placing the tray of goodies on a table, albeit almost dropping them thanks to Neptune's Sister Missile.

"Nepgear!" And the two sisters flinch, "I thought you of all people would understand the values of being a CPU but here you are, not only spoiling her rotten, but joining her slacking off!"

"Um, I'm very sorry, Histoire. But I was trying to convince Neptune to work but then she said she was hungry so…"

Yet again, another nerve popping followed by ulcer and chronic bleeding (whatever you call bleeding in the brain).

Clearly infuriated, Histoire unsummons the disc floating about into her inventory, stretches her arms, charges her wings…

"You two have at the count of three…"

…and readies her Wings of Light SP Skill.

Right then and there, the whole room began to churn violently at the mercy of Histoire's now growing (and glowing) wings.

Nepgear and Neptune begin to shake in their boots.

"We're very sorry, Histoire! Please don't wipe us off!"

"D-Don't worry, Nep Jr. Histoire can't wipe us off. I mean, w-we're the CPUs of Planeptune…"

 **Actually…**

"What?! Is that the author?!"

"What the goodness?! Everything's-No, time just stopped!"

 **Let me be brief. Right now, you two are in trouble because, according to Histoire's tome's section ABCDEF, the Tome of the World has the right to terminate CPUs who, for a long time, have shown deliberate insubordination to the duties of a CPU. TL;DR: its troublesome for CPUs who don't take their jobs seriously as it may affect the people in some bad manner…**

"Wait, what kind of stupid rule is that?! And why does she have to do it only now?! And why put something like this in the story?!"

 **Don't ask me. I'm the author of this story, not her tome. If I were you, I'd skedaddle before she ends up wiping this story clean. Alright, back to the story…**

Realizing their predicament, the two Neps go for some otherworldly advice and runs out of the room.

With the sisters now out and about, Histoire halts her SP Skill and lets out a sigh.

"I should thank you for your help."

 **No problem. Though, it's surprising you could talk through dimensions.**

"We can do many great feats… in three days, give or take."

Floating about, Histoire realizes that the room needed cleaning. As such, she goes and telepathically tidies up the room, even putting the tray of snacks (that so conveniently did not fall on the floor) beside her, floating.

 **Still, wasn't it a little harsh to lie about that whole 'wiping out lazy CPUs' thing?**

"Hm? But I wasn't lying," is what Histoire said before biting off a cupcake.

 **…**

* * *

Now out of the Nep Tower, the Nep sisters take a break from the frantic running. After a few deep breaths, Nepgear prompts her sister to finally start working, to which the elder sister groans.

"So, do we take on monster slaying quests like always?"

Arriving at the Guild, Nepgear searches for any viable quests that could help increase Planeptune's Shares. Flipping up and down on a panel, Nepgear spots a quest of interest…

"Hm… If we just gotta bring down one big baddie, then I'm good…" Noticing Nepgear was in her tunnel vision state, Neptune waves her hand to snap her out. Just as she did and Nepgear got back to reality, Neptune takes a glimpse at the quest she's looking at and felt like groaning.

"Crowd Control? Uh, sorry, Jr. But we don't have that many AoE skills…"

"Um, but this quest said about a group of viral monsters suddenly rising in number near a town. If they were just any mob…"

Nepgear looks at her sister with determined eyes. Push-over she may be called, but Nepgear is one girl you can't stop when she gets going.

Neptune sighs. " _How could I turn her down? Besides…"_ Neptune takes another glimpse at the quest details. Seeing the words 'viral', 'near', and 'town' didn't sit well with her. Just as any protagonist ought to do and just like any Neptunia installment, Neptune agrees to a little session of beat 'em up.

Neptune presses the 'accept' button and Nepgear's N-Gear is updated with the new quest. Before they could leave, however, Neptune spots an S-Rank Quest that also happened to be a monster slaying category. The monster in question, a dragon of the Hinokami subspecies (colloquially called a Megadragon), just so happen to be near that town.

"Might as well nab as much Shares and dime, right?" Neptune quirks to her sister who responds with a nod, "then let's go out and play with some noobies."

After taking their quests, the Neps were off to Northern Virtua Forest Depths.

* * *

[Northern Virtua Forest – Depths]

Northern Virtua Forest was known for its dense forests and towering trees. The smallest trees were as big as a five story house. One cannot even fathom the tops of the taller trees that dwarfed even the mightiest dragons and giants. In fact, the trees are so big, you would not realize you were facing a tree if you woke up beside one. Most notably the Depths, the forest itself would have been a labyrinth had it not been for the platforms and bridges placed to help travelers and hunters traverse the deep, dark forest.

"Those must be the culprits, huh?"

A group of viral monster – ranging from Dogoos to Dragon Knights – were rampaging about attacking whatever was in sight. Other lesser monsters that were not viral fled the area while the unfortunate ones turn viral themselves either by being overrun by the viral monsters or by randomly turning into one. The situation was getting out of control.

A couple of frantic monsters pass by the two CPUs, fear clear in their eyes, though some of them avoided the two as much as they could.

The two Neps look into each other's eyes for a moment agreeing on what to do. Neptune summons her Kiryu Sword and unsheathes it while Nepgear summons her Share Blade.

"Even if they're viral, they shouldn't be that tough," Nepgear heads out, "though, we should be careful not to get overrun and end up in a very scandalous predicament."

"C'mon, Jr. Overly-convenient fanservice is a staple in franchises like ours!"

" _That doesn't bode well with me and its really giving you the wrong implications, Sis,"_ Nepgear sighs before putting on her game face. Facing a group wildly attacking anything they see, Nepgear charges her sword and activates her SP Skill…

"Slash Wave!" The line of viral monsters disappears into data after one hit. Noticing Nepgear's aggression, the other viral monsters rush for the Candidate.

Nepgear strafes to their side so all of the monsters would be grouped in one direction. This causes the group to line up for a moment giving Nepgear a window to land a clean Slash Wave which takes out another group.

Meanwhile, Neptune was busy running up to whatever she sees cutting down whatever comes within her slashing range. Whether it was a group surrounding her or the usual attack-from-above, her swift movements and agility makes swift work of any offensive mounted against her. Upon seeing a clustered group, Neptune spawns a sword in the air, spawning her SP Skill…

"32-bit Mega Blade!" The sword blasts towards the cluster piercing anything unlucky enough to be in its path. When it did pierce the cluster, the sword erupts decimating an area around the epicenter.

"We only need a few more kills," Nepgear chimes on Neptune after checking the quest details.

Neptune strikes a V-pose before cutting down a viral wolf and kicking a viral tulip away.

However, just as they were getting the situation under control…

"GYAAAH!"

"What the goodness?!" Nepgear tries to go for the scream's location only to be blocked by more viral monsters. It seems the number keeps on increasing.

After Nepgear took on a couple of the viral monsters attacks, Neptune steps in and cuts her sister's load literally.

"You go on ahead, Jr. I'll handle these guys!" Neptune then cuts a couple more.

"I'll be back as soon as I can!"

Nepgear departs for the probable distress call. As she proceeds deeper into the forest depths, the viral monsters kept on increasing. Eventually, she encounters a group of Dragon Knights fending off a large group of monsters. One of the Dragon Knights was clearly fatigued as seen by how much it is struggling to keep itself off the ground.

Nepgear was about to ignore them when she spots how a detachment from the viral horde effectively encircled the weakened Dragon Knight until it became isolated from the rest. The other Dragon Knights tried to break through only for the sheer difference in number to overwhelm them. The weakened Dragon Knight is pounced on by viral wolves, tulips, alraunes, and even volcano crabs that weren't even native to the forest! Each one either bit or pounded on the helpless Dragon Knight as the latter flailed in a futile attempt to break free. Alas, the Dragon Knight is brought down, miasma starts to spawn around it, until eventually the Dragon Knight that emerged from the dogpile was now viral. From there, the viral monsters poured their focus onto the remaining Dragon Knights.

Having seen all that as she ran by, Nepgear comes to a troubling realization: these viral monsters aren't just randomly attacking anything.

" _From the way they attacked, it looked like they had some sort of coordination. We couldn't have noticed it earlier probably because we're better but…"_

Remembering that she had a person to save, Nepgear speeds up leaving the Dragon Knights to their fates. Still, one thing bothered Nepgear. Even so, Nepgear dismisses the idea.

"… _it's gotta be a coincidence…"_

After a couple of minutes and a dozen more viral monsters adding to the body count, Nepgear spots a group of viral vegetation monsters swarming over a teen girl who was getting… wrapped… in tentacles. For a second, Nepgear remembered Neptune's comment earlier. " _Overly-convenient, huh?..."_

With clothes torn, she was completely vulnerable to the monsters' attacks which involved squeezing, absorbing, asphyxiation by inserting appendages into her mouth, etc.

Alarmed, Nepgear races before it was too late to save the girl's life. Cutting away at the other viral monsters, Nepgear leaps from one viral monster to another while avoiding the attempts the monsters throw at her.

The surrounding viral monsters retaliated by unleashing clouds of paralysis powder. The yellow cloud engulfs the area around the monsters with the girl at the very center.

Nepgear steps back realizing the potency of the powder. As she observed, the grass that were showered went limp as noted by their saggy aftermath. Even so, she refuses to give in and goes for broke…

"Processor Unit…" Just then, it seemed as if time itself stopped for all except Nepgear.

"… Access!"

As she finished the activation command, Nepgear flashes into a transformation sequence. After a pair of circles made of 0s and 1s that scanned her body from the top and bottom meet at her approximate center, her sailor uniform, shoes, and D-Pad hair accessory all turn into her Lilac mk3 Processor Set. Her Share Blade integrates into her gunblade. Not much of her features change save for her hair slightly floating like a pair of lilac wings and the Symbol of Power appearing in her pupils.

With her transformation complete, Nepgear immediately charges her M.P.B.L. and aims at the viral monster with the most tentacles holding the girl.

Seeing Nepgear's barrel pointed at it, the monster puts the girl between it and Nepgear's M.P.B.L.

Unfortunately for the monster, Nepgear's gunblade wasn't limited to just shooting beams…

"M.P.B.L. Target locked. FIRE!" A stream shoots from Nepgear's gunblade and pierces through several monsters but misses the one with the girl.

Thinking she was done, the monster let its guard down and temporarily lowered the girl enough to give Nepgear an opportunity. And with one twirl, Nepgear's gunblade firing the stream sweeps a full 360.

Just like that, all of the remaining viral monsters were reduced to dissipating data fragments. The captive girl falls safely to the ground.

"Thank you very much, Lady Purple Sister! I shall be reporting back to Lady Histoire," and the girl takes an Eject Button from her inventory, dramatically slaps the button-pressing-fetish-inducing red button, and exits the dungeon safely.

" _I guess she was a scout patrolling the area…"_

With the area clear, Nepgear reverts to her normal form. Just as she was about to look for her sister, a large 32-bit Mega Blade began to float within the forest.

" _Neptune's probably done."_

With that, Nepgear decides to regroup with her sister.

* * *

Following Neptune's Mega Blade, Nepgear comes across the area she encountered the Dragon Knights.

" _Those viral monsters… Was it really just a coincidence? They might have just come across those Dragon Knights and decided to attack them…"_ Nepgear then remembers about the quest. Upon checking the quest details, it showed that they only needed to kill one more viral monster.

" _Neptune probably took care of them…"_ Upon considering that possibility, Nepgear somehow felt sorry for the Dragon Knights.

Some ways in front of her, she hears Neptune calling out her name. She follows the voice and eventually meets up with her sister.

"So how'd it went?" Neptune asked.

"She was fine…"

Neptune couldn't put a finger on it, but she could feel as if Nepgear was somehow uncomfortable talking about the scream.

"Anyway, we only need to take out one more monster but…" Nepgear looked to Neptune hopeful.

Neptune knew right away what Nepgear wanted: to make sure not a single viral monster would be close to the town. She didn't have to say another word to Nepgear. She felt like going for more herself, actually. In fact, she was eager to take out that Megadragon listed in the S-Ranked quest she accepted. With that, Neptune unsummons her katana, goes through her inventory, and equips a different weapon.

"How about we go for a little dragon slaying, dear ol' sister of mine?" Neptune brandishes her Crystal Sword before resting it on her shoulder. True to its name, the sword sparkled amid the peering lights coming down from the forest canopy. A sword fit for a god, wielded by a little girl in a pantless hoodie.

Nonetheless, Nepgear looks to Neptune in awe. Somehow feeling excited, she takes the lead together with her upbeat sister.

As they venture forth, they arrive at a circular space. Light managed to shine through well enough to light the area. However, Nepgear realizes the abnormal absence of any monster or animal.

"Don't you think there's too few monsters around here?" Nepgear inquires as she keeps her vigilance up.

"Hm… I get it! It's in these moments and places that usually mean a very powerful mons…"

And just like that, a Megadragon drops from the forest canopy.

"…ter… Uh, this makes things easier, I guess?" Neptune shrugs to Nepgear who was much more concerned about something else.

"Sis, there's something wrong about that Megadragon. There's some kind of… Hold on," Nepgear looked at the miasma emanating from the dragon and made it out to be similar from the one that consumed the Dragon Knight from earlier.

" _Weakened, miasma emanation, noticeable spasms, there's no mistaking it! This is bad but…"_

"Neptune!" Just as Nepgear speculated the worst, she goes straight into HDD and poises herself for anything the dragon would do, "I may be wrong about this but we need to go all out just in case!"

Neptune, although slow, took the hint after seeing something wrong from their situation. The other reason being that the build up from earlier (no monsters, quiet, as well as an arena-like space) meant that this would be a boss fight.

"Alright, ladies and gentledragons, this is the moment you've all been waiting for!... Or not. Whatever."

Once again, time goes to a halt as Neptune triggers her transformation sequence. The same pair of circles form above and below Neptune which would then scan her body from top and bottom. As the circles pass, Neptune's physique change and her attire disintegrates. Her body matures most notably her bust, her hair gets longer and darker in hue before fixing themselves into twin braids, and her attire is replaced by a tight black one piece lined with purple. After the two circles collide with each other, the rest of Neptune's Neptune Processor Set spawns into place. Finally, her Crystal Sword integrates itself into a great mechanized katana. Now in her HDD as Purple Heart, time resumes and Neptune levitated, along with her lilac themed sister, amid the fluttering cherry blossoms that came from her transformation sequence's remnant energy.

"Time to show you the power of a CPU!" Neptune readies her blade, "Nepgear, I'll take the lead. You go around and strike from behind," Neptune assumes the pose for her Cross Combination Skill, "we'll end this before the unthinkable happens."

Neptune lunges forward immediately situating herself just above the Megadragon's head for a heavy crisscross double slash which was followed by another double crisscross. After the four hits, she lowers her body just enough to give herself enough momentum for a rising slash that sends the dragon and herself into the air. Now airborne, Neptune ends the combo with a full power vertical slash that sends the hapless dragon crashing to the ground!

"32-bit Mega Blade!" Not giving her opponent breathing room, Neptune follows up with a massive Mega Blade barrage impaling the dragon onto the ground, "Nepgear!"

At the call of her sister, Nepgear had just positioned herself exactly at the dragon's six. She had already brandished her gunblade as well and was poised for her heavy hitting five hit combo…

"M.P.B.L. Panzer Blade!" With the shift to Panzer Blade, the weight of the gunblade exponentially increases causing the ground to implode from the sudden weight change.

Nepgear lunges forth (further imploding the earth) and slams her dense blade onto the pinned dragon. The first slash chips out a huge amount of data which is followed by three consecutive slashes lifting the dragon into the air before slamming it back to the ground with another slash. Nepgear ends the five-hit combo with a big slash straight to the dragon's body digging deep and sending another chunk of data into oblivion. Just as she finished, Nepgear jumps out of the area as the swords lodged into the dragon began to glow…

With a snap of her fingers, Neptune detonates the Mega Blades into an array of light pillars. It was as If the Megadragon was showered with a volley of god-sized spears! With that, the dragon collapses onto the ground seemingly unconscious.

Wasting no time, Neptune readies herself for the finisher. The symbol of Planeptune glows beneath her within a power circle. Neptune then raises her great katana and charges herself for the final assault…

" _Alright, one EXE Drive and… What?!"_

However, as Neptune thought of unleashing a finisher, the dragon is suddenly enveloped in an ominous matrix of 1s and 0s. In an instant, the dragon's countenance turned even darker with its red lining tinted with purple. Parts of its body cracked as the dragon roared mad causing a violent blast of miasma everywhere forcing Neptune to cancel her EXE Drive. The Megadragon was now viral.

" _This hasn't happened before. A Boss level monster going viral?! Powerful monsters should have immunity to virus!"_ Nepgear readied her M.P.B.L. while checking the status of the monsters. Just like any monster going viral, the Viral Megadragon's health points are back to full and it was ready to rumble.

" _Viral monsters are usually three times stronger than their normal counterparts. But…"_ Nepgear flies beside her sister and casts Offensive Cheer for both of them. " _What if that's only because the viral monsters we've encountered are more or less the same strength? Worst case scenario…"_

Just then, the Megadragon in question stretches the span of its scaly wings, readying itself to fly. It bears its claws forward, plunging them into the earth. Its hind legs were tensing up while its free arm was rearing by its side.

Seeing the dragon prepare itself, Neptune followed Nepgear's buff with her own…

"You've finally gotten me serio-"

…only for Neptune to find herself suddenly pinned to a tree!

Nepgear couldn't follow what happened. All of a sudden, her sister disappeared just as she was casting her Stat Multiplier on herself.

" _Viral monsters' stat increase scales with how powerful they are!"_ She casts Defensive Cheer on herself as quick as she can and engages the dragon from behind.

As for Neptune, she was hurting. If she had a health bar, it would probably at around 20% or even less! Unfortunately for her, the dragon wasn't done yet…

Picking up the CPU, the Megadragon throws Neptune back to the ground causing the CPU to bounce!

Neptune throws up from the impact but she puts it aside as she saw the Megadragon's tail coming in. She puts up her weapon just in time before she was sent flying through the diameter of a tree before planting herself to an adjacent one.

"Neptune!" Nepgear puts her M.P.B.L. on overdrive causing the Planeptune logo to flash with her sonic boom. Careening towards the dragon, Nepgear was about to unleash her EXE Drive on the damned reptile! " _If it moves that fast, my EXE Drive should slow it down!"_

As Nepgear was about to cut it from behind, the dragon sidesteps while the Candidate sped past its after image! It positioned itself behind her! And now its mouth is lighting up with the dragon species' lethal EXE Drive…

[Dragon Raid. exe ]

Nepgear saw the display from the interface characters had to distinguish combat details. Looking at the dragon just ready to blast her felt like an eternity.

" _I can't get away… Sis…"_

And the dragon unleashes hell. In a heartbeat, the entire front of the dragon was completely decimated. Trees, monsters, boulders, the earth, everything within the Dragon Raid's AoE was outright gone. Only a flat expanse that stretched deeper into the forest and possibly outside as well. It was like the forest turned into a desert from where the dragon was facing!

As for the dragon, it was standing still. Something was off. Sniffing while keeping a sharp, steady gaze on its surroundings, the dragon was looking for its opponent. Sensing an incoming threat, the dragon turns to face a massive cyan column just inches from its face!

Neptune's oversized (size multiplied by a hundred) 32-bit Mega Blade cuts through the towering trees like they were butter. At the sound of metal cutting, towering trees came crashing down, their gargantuan barks colliding with each other making their collapse look like the end of the world.

As giant wooden debris fall from everywhere, Neptune, carrying a shocked and perplexed Nepgear, blitzed through the falling obstacles even cutting and breaking some as she maneuvered past the hazards. Eventually, she settles at a comfortable section of the canopy overlooking the mayhem that was happening beneath them.

"Are you alright?" Though there was relief in her Purple Heart voice, Neptune's deep, serious voice hinted shock from the way it was somewhat soft.

Nepgear's head was still ringing but she managed to levitate beside Neptune nodding.

"I haven't seen a Boss level monster go viral before," Nepgear spoke worried, "last time I checked, viruses shouldn't even be strong enough to infect an Ancient Dragon!"

"But a Megadragon's here. Viral and on a rampage," Neptune interjects.

"Not only that, but there were also a group of viral monsters-"

Before Nepgear could continue, Neptune stops her by putting up her palm in front of Nepgear. "We'll talk about the details after we return to the Basilicom. Right now…"

While they were talking, the dragon bursts through the debris and lands at the tip of a broken tree branch lodged into the ground. Its wings flap about softly and its claws planted firmly onto the branch. Its gaze and snarls was now facing the two CPUs.

"Forget about healing. You'll just waste SPs," Neptune said as she finally casts Stat Multiplier on both of them, "how long can you keep your M.P.B.L. in overdrive?"

"About a minute and a half before it causes a Share explosion," Nepgear replies, "a-are we going all in?"

Neptune then spawns a ring of 32-bit Mega Blades around Nepgear and herself, "we're breaking our traditional fighting conventions."

Nepgear grabs one of the Mega Blades and wields it with her left hand. Neptune did as well. Both now dual wielded.

"When it comes," Neptune said as she goes for a tenacious stance positioning her katana to point forward by her head and the Mega Blade at her front, a complete change from her usual kendo stance.

Nepgear responds by poising herself in her own tenacious stance. Gunblade pointing forward and Mega Blade poised for a sweep.

As for the Megadragon, it rears its body to show a wound around its gut only for it to heal itself closing the wound. Roaring another time, the dragon spreads its wings and blasts towards the CPUs!

Neptune instantly moves forward and catches the dragon's charge with her crossed Mega Blades!

Meanwhile, Nepgear puts her M.P.B.L. on overdrive causing the gunblade to exert enormous amounts of energy even when it hasn't been triggered yet. Nepgear then moves in from the back of the dragon.

In response to their attempt to flank it, the dragon begins thrashing at Neptune from all angles! Double punch, tail smash, triple bites, aerial stomp, wing attack, the dragon didn't hold back on its attacks from everywhere! But this wasn't just any reckless thrashing…

On Neptune's end, she was controlling her Mega Blades to parry all of the dragon's attacks. One after another, the dragon was relentless. Two from above, one from the right, three from up, down, back, respectively, two from both flanks, a strong one from above, Neptune couldn't even mount her own attack!

On Nepgear's end, she was having a hard time getting a clean hit on the dragon. For an enormous creature, the Megadragon was too nimble! Even with the additional blades, Nepgear was only landing scratches and glances.

" _It recognizes weak spots… and is able to properly make a combo out of its attacks!"_ Nepgear kept on going but all her attempts were futile. " _Only Neptune? Don't tell me its smart enough to actually focus on a single target…"_

Neptune's wasn't getting any luck either. She's been catching the dragon's assault but seconds have already passed and it wasn't going well.

" _I was planning on taking the aggro from it but, at this rate, it won't even matter if we can't keep up!"_ As much as Neptune hated to admit it, her plan had failed before it even went into motion… or did it?

"Neptune!" As if struck by a eureka moment, Nepgear called Neptune with a fresh determined look.

Seeing this, Neptune's hopes got up. With Nepgear's wits, this should be over in a few seconds…

"Force it to chase you around!" Neptune complied and flew away leading the dragon to a bunch of zigzags through the forest. All the while, Nepgear commanded the Mega Blades Neptune gave her to home in on the dragon. " _30 seconds… This should make it! This has to work!"_

Neptune was flying around with her Mega Blades with the dragon hot on her tail. As she flew, she sent the Mega Blades to shoot the dragon down while she protects herself from the dragon's own energy blasts. It was a sight to see: goddess and dragon dance amid a flurry of swords and energy balls.

20 seconds and counting. Neptune fuses her Mega Blades into one large Mega Blade and sends it towards the dragon.

The dragon evades the massive projectile…

10 seconds and counting.

Nepgear readies her M.P.B.L. for her EXE Drive. She's locked on to the dragon's head. Her target was still distracted by the Mega Blades she sent. Finally, after one deep breath…

"I've been waiting for this moment!"

[Celestial Severance. exe]

From faraway, Nepgear's EXE Drive blasts through tree barks, branches, and other obstacles! The energy from the move ripped even the space within and around its AoE! After several tree barks…

The dragon evades the attack by folding its wings, reducing its hit box as it spun just above the energy beam. Nepgear missed! And now its bearing its claws and fangs at Neptune!

"Huh?" Seeing the aftermath of Nepgear's attack and the dragon flying towards her, Neptune readies herself for one final move. Just as the dragon was about to pounce on Neptune…

… she flies to the side.

Seeing Neptune move, the dragon goes for its target where it… crashes to a tree?

The dragon was flabbergasted. It knew it tried to steer to where Neptune was but ended up crashing. It was then when it realized that it was lacking one part of its anatomy – a very important one for its kind at that.

"Teehee! Gotcha!" Nepgear giggles to herself after her plan's success, " _a dragon can be as fast as it can but without a tail to act as a counter-balance for its massive body…"_

Indeed, just after Nepgear's attack 'missed', she performed an upward vertical slash cutting the tail of the unsuspecting dragon. Celestial Severance isn't aptly called as is for no reason after all.

"You gave us run for our pudding," Neptune raises her sword and the symbol of Planeptune appears beneath her, "be honored that you get to be cut down by my EXE Drive's special variation!"

[Neptune Break_x32. exe ]

As Neptune was speaking, the dragon decided to lunge for her. This, however, only served to ease Neptune's job.

In a flash, Neptune drives a slash down the incoming dragon's gut but her slash wasn't the only slash…

From everywhere around the dragon, the 32-bit Mega Blades that were supposedly controller by Nepgear were back in Neptune's control and were dicing the dragon from all angles! Neptune continues her combo while the Mega Blades do their own share of cutting. Apart from Neptune herself, it was as if there were seven Neptunes landing a Neptune Break on the dragon! After twelve hits, Neptune lands on a platform and raises her open free hand. Just as she did, the Mega Blades positioned themselves around the dragon. When Neptune rolled her hand into a fist, the Mega Blades pierce the dragon. This wasn't the finale yet…

"Come forth, Nepgeardam!" Nepgear summons a giant box-headed robot with… a peculiar face.

In any case, Nepgeardam runs towards the dragon from a certain direction. Just then, the massive Mega Blade Neptune sent flying earlier was making its way towards the area. Nepgeardam jumps into the air and catches the massive blade which was more than twice its size! With sword in both hands, Nepgeardam shadows Nepgear perform "Panzer Blade" and proceeds to pummel the dragon until the last blow explodes! Nepgeardam exits into a portal to goodness knows where afterwards.

After an arduous battle, the Viral Megadragon is defeated, dissipating into data. After the last bit dissipated, victory music chimed twice signaling the completion of their quests. However, celebration didn't last long as Nepgear realizes the threat posed by this discovery.

"Neptune, I know I implied about going out to exterminate more viral monsters but we should tell this to Histoire," Nepgear takes out an Eject Button, "something about the virus infecting those monsters is troubling…"

"Yeah," and Neptune reverts back to her human form, "and I'm also craving for some pudding after that boss fight! Man, why did the author have to put that stupidly difficult fight so early in the story?!"

Nepgear merely deadpanned as she pressed the Eject Button… only for nothing to happen.

"What?"

"Oh, you have to do as the item description says. Here," and Neptune demonstrates to her younger sister that one needs to dramatically smash the button for the Eject Button to work.

* * *

[Nep Tower, Planeptune]

After submitting the quests to the Guild, the sisters immediately return to the Basilicom to tell Histoire about their confrontation with the Viral Megadragon.

People were moving about in the lobby of the Nep Tower. Even so, the size of the hall made it seem like there were only a few people what with its size comparable to a coliseum. At the center was a large pillar that displayed a rotating 3D hologram of Planeptune's emblem. At its base was the large information desk. It handles much of the guests so well that a line was almost never needed. To the edges of the hall were warp panels to different floors of the tower. One of the warp panels, which was located at top of a high staircase and guarded by Planeptune Royal Guards, was the panel to the CPU residence. As such, the Nep Tower was also the nation's main Basilicom.

Upon entering the Basilicom lobby, Nepgear spots the girl she rescued earlier conversing with Histoire.

"I see. That is indeed strange," Histoire, with a finger to her chin, comments on what the girl said.

"I thought I just missed something but, after another three rounds, I couldn't find anything until I was… compromised."

"Yo, Flirtsy! We're back!" Neptune butts in.

"It seems you safely made it back," Nepgear comments on the girl's well-being.

"Yes, thanks to you, Lady Purple Sister," the girl bows to Nepgear, "Lady Histoire, that is all I have to report. I must take my leave. The town near Northern Virtua Forest is scarcely defended."

"Very well. You are dismissed."

The girl salutes Histoire and the CPUs as well before taking her leave.

"Was she the damsel in distress in the forest?" Neptune asks Nepgear to which the latter nods.

"I've heard the situation from her. It seems you were having quite the field work," Histoire comments.

"More like hard labor! Hear this, Histy. We got attacked by a Viral Megadragon!" Neptune, in frustration, was unknowingly fuming steam.

"Viral Megadragon? What nonsense are you talking about?"

"It's true, Histoire. We fought one and it was really powerful. It nearly had us at one point in the fight," Nepgear interjects which surprises the Oracle.

"I think we should proceed to our living room," Histoire suggests as she motions for the group to the elevator.

"How about we let the other gals in on the wagon?" Neptune suggests, "this is like a huge thingie, right?"

Nepgear and Histoire look to each other before agreeing.

"I'll ready the equipment for a video conference then," Nepgear suggests.

* * *

Moments later at the Nep Tower CPU Residence living room, a video conference among the four CPUs and Oracles of Gamindustri was underway. It was an emergency meeting so the setup isn't very grand. Neptune, Nepgear, and Histoire sat (or float) at one end of the table. Before them were three floating screens showing the three CPUs and Oracles of Lastation, Lowee, and Leanbox.

"A Megadragon going viral, you say?" Noire, the CPU of Lastation, speaks with reservations and a skeptical look.

"Indeed, unless there's visual proof, I cannot believe this claim," right next to Noire is her Oracle, Kei Jinguji.

"If it was so easy to snap a selfie with that darned thing, I would have done that," Neptune flashes a picture of her taking a selfie with a Megadragon from another dungeon she took some time ago to prove her point, "see?" She had a yukkuri face too.

"If you're just going to fool around, I'm leaving," Blanc, CPU of Lowee, was about to leave when another CPU spoke up.

"Hold on, Blanc. I believe what Neptune claims is plausible," Vert, CPU of Leanbox, said.

Vert then shows images of viral Dogoos. Next to them were statistics comparing a normal Dogoo to a viral Dogoo.

"When was the last time anyone encountered a viral Dogoo?" Vert asks.

"Actually," Nepgear raises her hand getting everyone's attention, "during our quest, we encountered other monsters that have confirmed virus immunity go viral."

As Nepgear explained, Noire, Kei, and Blanc suddenly showed interest. The latter sits down while the former starts typing down notes onto her nearby PC.

"Not only that, the monsters we encountered showed semblances of coordination," Nepgear then recounts the scene with the Dragon Knights getting overwhelmed. All the while, the three other CPUs were deep in thought. Nepgear then proceeds to the part they encountered the Viral Megadragon. Every bit of detail was shared.

"From what you are saying," Noire commented, "it's as if the virus has gotten stronger."

"Could it be a new strain?" Mina Nishizawa, Lowee's Oracle, suggested.

"What else could it be?" Chika Hakozaki, Leanbox's Oracle, said.

"More importantly, this would mean that the viral monster hordes weren't just occurring here in Lastation," Kei added.

"I thought it was a local problem here in Lowee too," Blanc said, "but I guess it's much widespread than any of us initially thought."

"Then this is going to be a big problem," Vert said, "if the virus can affect any monster now and if Nepgear's accounts about that Viral Megadragon are to be considered…"

All of a sudden, the room was silent. Everyone was thinking of the worst case possible, especially Neptune and Nepgear.

The virus in question isn't just a single kind; it's a collection of different kinds of viruses coming together to create adverse effects on the host. Commonly infected are monsters while humans and CPUs are somewhat protected because of vaccines. However, because of the nature of this collective virus, a vaccine only did so much as lessen its effectivity. Another problem was because of fast mutation among the viruses and the dynamic spawn rate of wild monsters the viruses infect. Individually, viruses can only do minor things like colds and fever. However, when certain viruses mix together, it can trigger data corruption and cause monsters to turn viral.

Now that the viral monsters have undergone radical and dangerous changes, this can no longer be set aside as a minor case.

"Anyway, there's gotta be a reason why this is happening, right?" Neptune breaks the silence, "y'know? Like an evil organization trying to develop a bioweapon but then they mess up and a group of moe blob high school girls from a School Live club is trying to get to the bottom of this as we speak!"

" _I don't think that's official yet…"_ Noire thought as she somewhat felt annoyed at Neptune's antics while remembering a zombie series she was following.

With Neptune being Neptune, Histoire speaks up before Neptune mentions anything about an umbrella seeing as Noire and Blanc were getting irritated.

"Speaking of the probable cause of this outbreak," Histoire quickly said, "our scouts haven't found any anomalous object or phenomena that could even be linked with the virus becoming fatally stronger."

"That's true," Vert sighs.

"We sent submarines to check the former location of the Graveyard in case some stupid cliché like the Deity of Sin's revenge was cooking up but to no avail…" Chika added.

"So what do we do?" Blanc raises the billion-dollar question, "we can't just sit around and talk about speculations and crap."

"We know little about what's going on," Nepgear speaks up, "it would be best if we try to know more while we keep the viral monsters in check."

"I see. Does anyone have any other inputs? Objections?" Histoire inquires.

"If we are going by that route," Vert responds, "then we must also keep Boss level monsters from spawning. Perhaps a directive for Guilds to send watchers to all the spawn points?"

On Lastation's end, Kei and Noire have just finished whispering to each other, "we've decided to pinpoint the virus that likely caused this sudden mutation. But we can't do it alone so we were wondering if Planeptune could aid us."

"Oooh! Do I hear a Tsundere going dere-dere? But anyway, I'll be sure to tell Compa about it so she can tell her doctor friends," and, once again, Neptune triggers Noire's tsun-tsun side.

"About what Vert said," Blanc interjects, "Mina just contacted the Monster Hunter Association. A representative said they'd take care of the Boss monsters while the Guild can handle the regular mobs' numbers."

At the sound of 'Monster Hunter Association,' Noire winced, " _it's a good thing Uni isn't here to hear that come from a Loweean mouth."_

"Oh, yeah, we'll provide you guys with some references for the virus research," Blanc added getting a nod from Noire.

"It seems everyone's settled on what they will do," Histoire speaks after confirming everyone else's intentions, "if so, I would like to suggest seeking the aid of the Mascots."

Beings known as Characters are born from the dreams and faith of people which is inspired by the games developers create. They serve as the heroes/heroines people seek to be. When they become prominent enough that they receive almost as much Shares as the CPUs, they become Mascot Characters – another term for 'National Hero'. There are some political requirements needed to be a Mascot Character as well. They contribute much of the Shares a nation gets and are responsible for maintaining the faith of the people to their CPU via services and great feats. Additionally, their unique connection with the beings from the Dimension Beyond the 4th Wall makes them powerful enough which is second to the CPUs in terms of overall capabilities.

"The viral hordes do pose some degree of difficulty and complication," Vert comments, "very well, I shall contact our Mascot Character and have him and his partner on stand-by."

"So will we," Mina adds, "but how about the Mascots of Planeptune and Lastation?"

"If you are wondering about Planeptune's Akira Yuki, then he is training here in Lastation," Noire said. Kei then whispers something to Noire which prompts the CPU to update her statement, "actually, Akira has just been seen exiting Lastation's borders. As for our Mascot…"

"Kratos's whereabouts are unknown…" Kei interrupted.

" _Why do I get the feeling she's hiding something?"_ Mina wondered but she decides to dismiss the idea.

"Mario and Luigi have been notified," Mina said as she opens and closes what seemed to be Lowee's handheld console.

"I take it that this is all?" Histoire asks but there was no response which meant 'yes', "then this meeting is adjourned. I trust that everyone else will make their public announcements regarding the issue as soon as possible. Let us do all we can and make sure this is the worst that it can be."

And the meeting ends with the video feeds going offline.

"As for you two," Histoire looks to the two CPUs, "as much as I'd like to contact Akira, he doesn't bring any phone on him so as to focus on his training so…"

Without letting Histoire finish, Neptune puts up her signature V-pose and reassures the fairy, "we'll even serve him on a silver platter… well, not literally," and turns sheepish afterwards.

" _If only she was this enthusiastic about her work…"_ Nepgear and Histoire sighs thinking the same thing. How they wish it were so.

* * *

[Outside Planeptune's Borders]

Neptune and Nepgear are enroute to Lastation via a road overlooking a valley. Rocks were lined with digital circuitry and monsters wandered about. The sky was never better for a walk or two. Sadly, a certain CPU's feet couldn't get any sunnier.

"Why can't we just have that overworld thingie like the rest of the games had?!" Neptune whined as she settles on a rock she found nearby.

"But you suggested to walk because you were uncomfortable being in your HDD form."

"Between getting serious for a long time and my legs hurting, it's gotta be the hurting," Neptune proclaims with a finger forward only for her hand to go back massaging her legs, "and I already spent my Serious Points earlier with that Megadragon…"

"But then why do you keep on complaining?"

"Huh?" Neptune cocks a brow, "isn't it natural?"

Nepgear sighs. Realizing this was futile (and it is absolutely not about lacking backbone), Nepgear settles down and takes a water jug from her inventory. She takes a drink and offers it to Neptune.

"Only for a minute," Nepgear says as Neptune takes the jug for a drink.

While the two were busy relaxing and doing nothing, a certain entity was… rolling its way towards them. The sound of grinding metal was making itself heard as monsters from around run away out of instinct. Eventually, the sound and monster movements would be noticed by Nepgear…

"Sis, something's not right," Nepgear immediately stood up taking out her Share Blade in the process.

"What is it, Nep Jr.? Are your haters at it again? Stalkers?"

"No," Nepgear sharpens her senses, "listen."

Neptune felt sick all of a sudden. This build up, quietness, uneasiness, it all pointed to one thing…

A rolling blue buzz saw careens from nowhere and nearly slices Neptune into two!

"C'mon, twice in one day?!" Neptune spawns her Crystal Sword and stances herself. She then goes into HDD and prepares to confront the new enemy.

As for the blue assailant, it makes a sharp U-turn and speeds for them once again. By this time, Nepgear was also in HDD and was pointing her M.P.B.L. at the thing.

Even with the gunblade pointed at it, the blue buzz saw still pressed on, even accelerating!

" _This thing is pretty cocky…"_ Nonetheless, Nepgear fires her M.P.B.L. What happened next shocked her good…

"What the goodness?!"

The buzz saw just plowed through the beam! And that beam's width was more than the buzz saw's diameter!

"So this one's another tough guy," Neptune comments, "let's spilt up."

Nepgear and Neptune head for two different approaches. Nepgear looked to flank it while Neptune pressed head on. No sooner was there a sound of metal grinding with metal. The shrill noise was off-putting Neptune.

" _This thing…"_ Neptune tries to get a word out while she parried the buzz saw's attack. Unfortunately, the blue thing wasn't letting up. In fact, Neptune was getting pushed down.

Nepgear, on the other hand, went for the buzz saw's perpendicular flank with gunblade aimed. Wasting no time, Nepgear pulls the trigger sending out a stream of power.

" _Is this a new monster? In any case…"_ The M.P.B.L.'s attack streaks towards the buzz saw's axel but…

The buzz saw jumped out of harm's way. Neptune, however, saw this as a chance…

" _Now that you're in the air…"_ Neptune points her hand to the air, spawning a pair of…

"32-bit Mega Blades!"

The twin blades spawned at the buzz saw's either sides go for a pincer attack right at its axel. But just as the blades go for the kill…

Before Neptune could even finish blinking her eyes, the buzz saw suddenly activates its boosters and zips directly at Neptune, evading the Mega Blades!

Neptune only had time to fly back but the direction of the buzz saw's spin caused the earth to fly towards Neptune. Dirt irritates her eyes; Neptune is temporarily blind!

In that instant, the buzz saw veers via spin and accelerates towards Neptune for the finish. Boosters revved up to increase its rotation and, in turn, its speed!

Seeing the danger her sister was in, Nepgear charges for interception. She whips up a gust around her M.P.B.L. and charges with her Aerial Assault. Going from above, Nepgear slashes down with a wind element EX Attack…

Only for the buzz saw to lean and bounce away from Nepgear thereby minimizing Aerial Assault's effect! After evasion, it was now a chakram curving towards a disoriented Neptune!

"NEPTUNE!" Is all Nepgear could do...

By the time Neptune had recovered from her blindness, she already felt something touching her mid-section. The sound of steel buzzing and grinding surrounded her hearing. There was blood in the air and her body shocked, unable to do anything as she fell backwards…

After the impact, the buzz saw careens towards the cliff drop. It lands onto the cliff wall on the other side of the valley. From there, it starts scaling all the way to the top.

As for Neptune, the CPU checks her torso and finds it… intact? Flabbergasted, Neptune looks around to see a woman draped in azure flames. Her long silver hair fluttered as she knelt. She held a large lance and shield which was familiar to the CPU. And as Neptune looked to her black military attire and then to her face, she recognizes the person positioned a good meter from her to be Planeptune's Valkyrie Corps General.

"Ms. Selvaria," Nepgear said. The Candidate flew to where Neptune and Selvaria were.

Meanwhile, as the buzz saw scaled to the top of the cliff, a man dropping from the air readies an earth shattering move…

"Hoo… HAAAH!" The second the man stomped onto the cliff edge, a force so strong that it caused the entire wall of the cliff to collapse rocked the buzz saw!

A massive rockslide rolls down the cliff the buzz saw was scaling. Though it managed to slice through some, the sheer numbers eventually clobbered the buzz saw down the valley. For a moment, the buzz saw stopped its spin and plants itself onto the opposite cliff with its limbs. The bipedal silhouette only stopped to gaze back at its attacker with its glowing red eyes before leaping away from the area.

"That spiky silhouette…" The man in a sleeveless white karategi (because the sleeves were torn) tries to remember where he had seen that silhouette before. Taking a while to do so, he gives up and proceeds to where Neptune, Nepgear, and Selvaria were.

"Are you alright?" Selvaria asks as she slowly stood up, "thanks goodness I made it in time…"

"You have my deepest gratitude, general," Neptune slightly nods before reverting to her human form, "if it weren't for you, I might've started some sort of morbid humor meme like 'chopu-chopu-Nepu' or something else."

"Our Lady is as lively as usual," the man from earlier approaches the group.

Nepgear and Neptune looked to see who it was and found the man they were tasked to find crossing a bridge.

"What became of the assailant, Akira?" Selvaria asked.

Akira then remembers the familiar silhouette only to dismiss it for now, "it got away after the rocks knocked it out of its spin."

"I see," Selvaria relaxes, letting the flames around her dissipate.

However, as Selvaria rose upright, Nepgear notices traces of crimson trickling down Selvaria's back. When her flames were completely gone, she got a full look of what it was…

"By the way, some texts ago mentioned blood flying in the air. I think that was around the time you stepped in," Neptune inquires Selvaria who was slightly looking pale.

Just then, Nepgear moves Selvaria's long silver hair aside to get a full view of her back. She saw a deep wound starting from below her bust to the left side of her spine!

"You're wounded!" Nepgear exclaimed.

Just as Selvaria tries to nurse her wound, her shield drops a huge piece. Upon touching the wound, Selvaria winces as the jerks her hand away from the gash. Apparently, much of the assailant's attack sliced through her shield and took a chunk out of her.

Neptune and Akira rushes to her side only for Selvaria to place her hand before them, "it's alright… We Valkyrurs have high regeneration…"

Just as Selvaria said that, a faint blue glow starts shining on her wound. As it did, Selvaria's constitution improved slightly.

"No matter how good your regeneration, you can't push yourself!" Akira scolds her, worry apparent in his loud voice.

"I am aware," Selvaria reassured, "I shall head back to Planeptune. Whatever that assailant was, Histoire must know."

"Okay," Neptune said, "but you better make sure you rest and overdose yourself with pudding! Your lines are giving the vibes of a death flag, y'know?"

Selvaria almost giggled but managed to keep it to a smirk before saluting her CPUs. Afterwards, she dramatically presses an Eject Button she took from her inventory.

"I never asked but what was she doing with you? Hold on," triggering her imaginations, Neptune gasps as her train of thought crashes into a conclusion, "could it be that you ditched Pai-chan and is now hooking up with Selvaria?!"

Nepgear soon follows, "goodness! Is that true?!"

"No," Akira rejects with a slight tint of red on his face, "we were participating in the Fighting Climax Tournament back in Lastation! She just happened to be by."

After Akira said that, Nepgear remembered her friend, Dengekiko, mention something like that happening in Lastation. Before Neptune could drag this conversation, Nepgear tells Akira of the current situation…

"I see," Akira contemplates on Nepgear's accounts, "it seems a new kind of challenge is awaiting us," just then, Akira clenches his fists, eyes burn with newfound determination, and perks up.

"So, should we head back to Planeptune?" Just as Nepgear suggested, her N-Gear beeps to the sound of a new email, "oh? It's from Histoire…"

The email titled 'Escort Mission' stated a medical convoy headed for Planeptune from Lastation. Details explained that the group of medical professionals were too big to be sent via Terraportation so they had to be escorted the old fashioned way. Concerns about the viral hordes have speculated the trip to be dangerous.

"I guess we'll be coming home with a lot of friends," Nepgear said.

It was sunset by the time the confrontation ended and the trio heads for Lastation with the scarlet sky behind them…


	2. The Other Purple

[Virtua Forest, Planeptune, Hyperdimension, 20XX – Five hours after Neptune's departure for Lastation]

Night has fallen in Virtua Forest. Insects fill the night with their cries, scurrying critters rustle within the grass occasionally, and the gentle night breeze shakes the trees showering leaves beneath it. Night's comforting coolness tucked the monsters away. Though cold, some found warmth within the cuddles of their kind. The nocturnal ones slowly wake up to the moonlight's welcome, their eyes glowing within the dark. Another day ends for the morning born; another night starts for the night dwellers…

… until all creatures fall silent.

Rustling leaves dominate the sudden tense atmosphere as monsters begin cowering in silence, their senses telling them to stay quiet. The gentle breeze suddenly got colder as the dreary creatures feel a slap of malice wake them into panic. Whether out of fear, awe, or respect, what would follow would remind them of the new breed of danger lurking among them.

Approaching from the darkness, an anguished shriek from a rolling being travels through familiar lands. Its convoluted vision cares not for what it trampled. Its own pain drowned what it could probably recognize to be a tree, a fellow monster, or whatever its buzz saw rolled through. Eventually, the screeching ends when it sees an imminent clearing.

Halting its roll, the hunched, bipedal azure metal beast looms over the edge overlooking the damned purple city of the land it once knew and served. Its red eyes glared particularly onto the white sword-like tower jutting from the city skylines. The indigo nighttime glow was nothing but an irritating brightness reminding it of a mixture of contradicting emotions: anger and joy, comfort and suffering, accomplishment and guilt. Seeing the sight before it, the mechanical beast felt its corrupted blood boil once more, igniting the thrusters that looked like they were haphazardly slapped onto its four limbs, the ones on its legs burning the grass beneath them with its azure blaze. Flashes of what looked to be its past clouded its rage filled vision. It was chaotic. One broken frame of flashback to another made its blade-like mane spark embers each time it cringed at its own memories.

And then it remembered what just happened this day.

As it recalled the images of those two purple-tinted human figures, its buzz saw protruding through its whole torso spin to life, an unpleasant reaction whenever it became infuriated. It hated the sensation it felt back then – the way these two purple figures emanated a certain aura of authority, presence of the ruler of a nation. Damned be its kind's ability to sense the kind of its former masters around.

It remembered how hot the beam of energy it plowed through was. It remembered the distorted face that looked like a smirk, its wearer seemingly taunting it as their blades clashed. It remembered a pincer attempt from those cocky bastards. Even the attempt of one of them to cut it down as it charged for one of them. Its ire became stronger when the beast touched a scar on its torso's or, rather, buzz saw's faded blue diameter, nicked to reveal the silver under it. It remembered blood…

Blood?...

All of a sudden, its rage was replaced with nostalgia. Somewhat coming to its senses, the beast calms its screeching buzz saw. It took a sniff off the wafting metallic scent etched onto its punished saw's edges.

"This scent," its angry robotic voice whispered.

It remembered something peculiar with this. It wasn't the blood; it wasn't the taste which it attempted to lick off its claw nor was it the scent. As it recalls the events from that time, like a video reel speeding to the most important parts, the figure of a spiky haired man in a karategi standing over a cliff flashed clearly onto its memories.

Just like that, soothing memories of its past washed over its hatred.

The blue beast felt its coarse throat choke and its battered, armored chest plate tighten not by anger but by a mixture of warmth, elation, and sadness. Brief flashes of certain parts of its past relieved its aching body.

For some reason, it hurt just seeing these fond memories. And the more this beast remembered, the heavier it was to keep looking.

But avoiding those memories lead it back to reality.

Once again, the buzz saw spins to life, its edges grinding the beast's mechanical hip segment and neck segment. Its thrusters burning. Snarls from its long white snout spew ember from its gritting teeth. Eyes glow a fierce crimson, remembering the purpose for its rage.

" _If it weren't for them! If it weren't for the system!"_ The beast thought.

Recalling the subjects of its rage, its resolve and fury reignited. The blue beast decides upon its new course. A pillar of light shot through the sky not far from where the beast was. Just as its gaze met the light, it remembers a certain friend from the other side of that dimension-crossing light.

Its buzz saw began spinning furiously as it murmured its goal.

"Freedom awaits."

That night, an agonizing, screeching howl chilled the winds with fear and fury…

* * *

[Ultradimension Planeptune, 200X – 2 days later…]

Another day in the other land of purple progress is another pleasant day for the eager people bustling about beneath the sky-tinted skyscrapers. To them, not a day must go by without discovery. Their bodies pushed as much as their capabilities and technology. As the city heat permeated through the atmosphere, so did the boundless knowledge passed around from one intellectual to another. However, amidst the yearning of the Planeptune people for advancement, few of them cannot deny the uneasiness lingering over their hearts amid the many issues that have transpired Gamindustri this past week. Currently, there is one certain news that's being covered in all LCD screens tuning in on the news.

"This is Dengekiko reporting live here in Lowee for another coverage of the recent horde attack that transpired here in the city of Ecruteak," the blonde reporter by the name of Dengekiko said through a microphone.

Behind Dengekiko is a town clearly ravaged. Although there was construction going on, it was clear that the damage had been bad. Many buildings displayed all kinds of trauma from the aforementioned horde attack – blackened concrete walls indicate fire, toppled buildings suggested a large monster tackling it down, once beautiful houses supposedly made of traditional paper walls are unrecognizable. Along with the ruined structures are the camps scattered across what looked like a large square which is beside a tall traditionally designed tower, albeit falling apart. The vibrant autumn-colored trees Lowee is known for are all but gone what with them dumped along with other debris on one area.

"As you can see behind me, the city is still in a state of calamity one day after the attack. Right now, most of the populace are making do with make-shift camps due to the unavailability of a proper shelter," Dengekiko says as she reasons the scene behind her.

Dengekiko then moves to a downcast man in his thirties sitting down with a jug of beverage, clearly tired from all the lifting he's been recently doing, "excuse me, sir, can you spare a little bit of your time?"

"Yes, it's alright," the man replies.

"Thank you," Dengekiko says, "can you describe to us the severity of the damages? How bad is it?"

"It's like a typhoon just hit along with a tornado. Those monsters really did our city hell. Every building you see here is all the ones in the best shape. The rest are good as dirt," the man said, still looking downcast.

"How exactly did the monsters attacked?" Dengekiko asks.

"They were everywhere!" The man says, recalling the day the viral horde struck. As he starts retelling, his face turns grim and voice goes sour remembering the horrible events he wishes to forget.

* * *

[Ecruteak City, Ultradimension Lowee, 200X – Two days prior…]

Night was about to fall over the autumn colored lands of Ecruteak City, Lowee. Colder night breeze was beginning to blow through the city as the citizens either finish up on their remaining tasks or set up their businesses for the night. People were happily walking and talking down the cherry blossom petal littered streets that was slowly lighting up from the lanterns hung up on stands and houses. Cheery bazaar chatter filled the crowded sidewalks. Stalls hosting various street food come to life as hungry pedestrians clamor around each one, waiting to satisfy their cravings of a day's good work.

But there was a mix of vigilance in this light atmosphere.

Contrasting the casual civilians walking down the streets were uniformed personnel patrolling in groups. Their surveying eyes scoured for any threat. Arms of varying kinds slung to their person just in case the worst would come. Their expressions mirrored their unconditional purpose to preserve the peace around them. None were fooling around. They knew all too well of the consequences of taking it easy. After all, they've heard of the viral hordes four times already – one of them attacking a village in their very own nation.

This was a usual sight for a certain old man around his thirties. With the news of a floating landmass and viral monster hordes wreaking havoc, soldiers walking here and there was a common in any city he thought. He could even remember spotting a tank roll in the city just a few days ago. Still, that didn't come as a surprise, though the amazement he felt when he saw the rolling metal was a new contrasting feeling to what his eyes are accustomed to in this laid back traditional land.

"Those look good," he said as his eyes spot a cart selling Blanc Manjus. He pulls out his wallet checking for any spare change he could use to prize himself after a day's work at the woodworks he just worked in. _"This should be enough,"_ he thought as he picks up a few coins from inside his wallet. He briskly walks over to the stall for a purchase. As he did, he overheard a pair of teens casually talking as they took bites off their Blanc Manjus.

"Four horde attacks," a young high school girl said.

"Yeah," a girl who seems to be her friend comments, "and, from what I heard, the attacks were very harsh," she said, almost showing a face of disgust which is showing to discomfort her eating.

"The CPUs haven't been updating. It's probably so bad they don't even have time to properly address the situation," the other girl said.

"The Mascots haven't it easier as well," the other girl replied, "I saw Lady Samus return from one of the recent attacks, uneasy and passive. Lady White Heart was even more unapproachable…"

The man had received his Blanc Manjus when the two girls left the stall, still talking about the hectic situation their CPU and Mascot Character were dealing with. _"This is probably the same with the other nations,"_ he thought as he walked down the path to his home. As he proceeded, he thought back to what the girls were talking about. It hasn't been the best week ever since that landmass rose up from out of nowhere. As he picked up one of the Blanc Manjus from the bag he's carrying, he gazes at the image of their nation's CPU and prays, "may your warm light guide us through these hardships and may the fourth horde attack be the last," and he gapes his mouth to receive the blessings of his revered CPU.

And with the sound of the earth erupting from a pod of Viral Cyber Whales emerging from underground, he would come to experience the fifth. As if matters couldn't get any worse, said Viral Cyber Whales unleashed a horde of viral monsters from their gaping mouths, pouring them onto the city!

In mere seconds, frightened people screaming "viral monsters" came running from where he was headed. Hastily and with fear, the city patrols nearby rushed to the scene only to be halted by a tidal wave of viral monsters approaching them! They cautiously fired off at will trying to get the monsters and not the people running away. However, the panicking crowd had started to stampede from the horde's sudden appearance.

The man momentarily froze at the sight of the monsters. Then, he recalled about his family. Dropping his Blanc Manjus, he tries to run towards his home only to be halted by one of the patrols by his arm.

"Sir, you have to run away from here!" The patrol said as she fired off a couple of hesitant shots just barely missing the stampeding crowd of people. She cursed under her breath as she couldn't get a good aim.

"My family is over there," declared the man, "I have to get to them!"

As the two flailed against each other, the menacing caw of a giant avian catches the confused attention of some of the panicking people, including them, as well as other people still unaware of the situation happening. Looking up, they saw a viral Suzaku – colored dark purple and black and had a dark, ominous miasma emanating around its semi-mechanical bird body – soared above the city. A tower situated near the man and the patrol caught its crimson eyes. It then churned fire from within its gaping beak before shooting a blazing dark purple stream at the tower's midsection. The tower erupts in a fiery blaze from where it was struck, its upper section immediately collapsing towards the street the man was at.

The man and the patrol lady immediately moved out of harm's way, pushing through a terrified crowd that was also trying to get away from the burning tower falling above them and the monsters pursuing just far off. As soon as their fearful eyes saw the burning tower close in, they jumped through panicking people just in time to barely evade the tower's violent crash. The loud wooden impact muted the splattering blood and crushing bones from the people caught by the tower's demise. The two who were one of the many fortunate to have dodged that were snapped out of their bracing selves by loud screams. Turning from their face-down position on the pavement, what they saw was hell.

People who were still alive were trapped inside the tower's debris. Some were still conscious even with their bodies mangled and torn from the wood shooting through them. Some were gasping for air as they slowly bled out from their wounds, fear of death crawling over their inaudible cries for help. Others could be seen unmoving and squashed in all the horrible ways anyone could think of, the sight of them easily making the strongest of bellies spit out their acid. Worse, the flames were beginning to encroach the wooden debris. Only people grateful to have escaped that predicament could help them now. Beyond the tower's debris were the other people who were running away from the viral monsters. Their path to safety blocked, they hopelessly tried to climb above the debris, frantically trying to get away from the monsters rending their fellows behind them. The patrols with them were losing their will and bravery each time a monster tears one civilian apart. No sooner did they join the other desperate people running for their lives.

"How could these monsters have passed through our defenses?!" The patrol lady says in disbelief only to realize their predicament. Snapping back, she turns her attention back to the man she was flailing with a moment ago.

"We need to get out of here!" The patrol lady beside the man said as she hastily rose from the pavement, "those monsters will catch up!"

Leaving the people hopelessly trapped to their fates, the two regrettably rush towards the city center in hopes of getting to the emergency air transports readied just in case an attack like this would ever happen. As they ran past the panic filled, ember riddled streets, the man caught glimpses of the nightmare happening before him. Everywhere they go, houses either burn or explode. All the street food carts just recently being manned by eager vendors and hungry customers lay in messed up pieces all over the street, waiting to be trampled upon by the approaching horde. Once beautiful lanterns now served as catalysts for the now raging fire, paper walls and wooden structures only served as fuel to the growing inferno.

Finally, passing through a tori gate, they arrived at the city center which was a city plaza of some sort that had a wide open space surrounded by Lowee's autumn-colored cherry blossom trees. Guards surround the perimeter killing off any viral monster groups approaching the area. All the while, fearful people board the three large white transport crafts which looked like those starships you see in sci-fi movies, each one big enough to cover a quarter of the plaza. Through the loud whirring sounds of the aircraft engines, people were crying for help looking for relatives, soldiers giving out orders, and personnel telling people to either calm down or board accordingly. Just as they arrived, one of the aircrafts were already lifting off as its hatch started closing. Chaos ensued as some feared that they would be left behind only for the soldiers and ground personnel to redirect them to the other aircrafts.

"Board one of those aircrafts. Don't worry, they're enough to fit the whole population," the patrol lady points the man to one of the aircraft before running back into the city.

As the man was about to run, the sound of something being slammed to bits somewhere halts any commotion going on, dust clouds from somewhere in the city could be seen rising. Right after, the whirring sounds of a giant machine reverberated throughout the area. After a brief and heart-stopping silence, a building explodes revealing a Killachine slamming it aside with its giant morning star! The giant floating war machine identifies the aircraft that was lifting off, marking it as a target. As it flew to its target, people below it went into a frenzy, the man included. The pilots flying the aircraft were in a panic, frantically pulling the steer and pushing the throttle to get away from their attacker. Alas, the aircraft failed to gain enough momentum and the Killachine, with its massive axe and morning star, slams the large transport craft by the cockpit, the impact causing the aircraft to spin uncontrollably onto the ground filled with scrambling, terrified people. Its large metal hull skidding over flesh and bone, painting the ground with a mosaic of unrecognizable, bloody human remains all the while etching their terror and fear onto the earth.

Pushed and shoved to his side, the man tries to move his fear-stricken body. His legs refused to move as his eyes stay fixated onto the Killachine's silhouette behind the smoke rising from the burning aircraft. _"This was it,"_ he thought. Whatever hope there was is all but gone. Either he goes back into the city and get devoured by the viral horde or stay here and get crushed by that metal thing's weapons. Forget about waiting for Lady White Heart. They would be ground meat before she even arrives. Ecruteak City is situated in Lowee's outskirts. Not even a CPU could fly here from the capital. With that realization, the man slumps, resigning to his fate. He only wished that he ends up in a better state than the rest of the people crushed by the large aircraft.

The Killachine turned its attention to the other aircrafts. All the soldiers not guarding the perimeter went into position behind and either sides of the floating war machine, determined not to let the mechanical killer crush any more civilians. Their combined magic attacks peppering the Killachine's abdomen, each blast staggering the metal giant. But even with their combined attacks, it wasn't enough. All it took was for the Killachine to slam the ground and send the soldiers flying from the shockwave, all able soldiers holding off the machine are down and dispersed. Finally, free from the magic attacks, the Killachine went on a mayhem smashing and culling the scattered soldiers, each one desperately trying to deter the Killachine from brutally sending them to the afterlife.

Observing from a distance, the man sees just how the soldiers hopelessly fought and brutally die. After a while, he looks around, realizing he was now alone. His body completely stunned into place, legs sprawled onto the ground. Eyes fixated onto the Killachine approaching his way, the man slowly sinks into the deafening daze between consciousness and unconsciousness.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY NATION!" Somewhere above him, a loud brusque female's voice snaps him back into a stunned, frantic state seeking what it was that put him back into reality, sounds returning to clarity right after.

Just as the voice declared, the Killachine halts its floating advance and rears its curious machine head. All the other viral monsters in the city stopped what they were doing and curiously reared their heads towards the voice's direction. What they saw careening in the skies with a streak of white triggered their ire, all of them glaring at the figure that has made its presence known to their searching senses.

White Heart careened in the skies with her large white axe and White Processor Set, shouting with all the rage she could muster. Peculiarly, her Processor Set's supposedly blue wings were glowing red from what appears to be heat. Those crimson eyes glared in rage, eyelids pushed themselves wide open in an effort to melt their targets just from the ire behind her eyes. Every avian, the viral Suzaku included, she met in the skies were immediately greeted by the edge of her axe swung with all the hate from her existence, targets chopped and blasted to pieces.

All other monsters on the ground rallied towards the CPU, the Killachine zipping past the buildings like they were Styrofoam blocks. Every other human target they had their murderous eyes on were quickly ignored as they finally had the one of the main targets appear before them.

"COMING BACK IN MY LOWEE," White Heart roared as she plowed through the last of the avian monsters, "YOU'RE GONNA REGRET YOU EVER GOT YOUR ASSES BACK HERE!"

Like the piles of dead bodies and wrecked vehicles and buildings around him, the man felt insignificant before the battle royal that was happening before him. Their nation's CPU, along with what appeared to be the Loweean military judging by the extra streaks of energy in the background, smashing and brawling it out with the viral horde that laid waste to the city he was once walking down its streets. From where he sat overwhelmed and frightened, he took one final gaze before the burning and crumbling city around him.

Finally, fatigue got the better of him. Whether it was relief or resignation to whatever fate awaited him, the man falls unconscious, laid unmoving with the many other bodies around him…

* * *

"I see," is all Dengekiko could ever comment after listening intently and astonished from the man's story. Looking at the man as he finishes his detestable experience, Dengekiko takes a deep sigh, taking all that he had just shared. Seeing the downcast man slump sadly after that, Dengekiko thought of alleviating the man's mood by changing the topic. At that instant of guilt driven thinking, she asks the first thing that comes up her thoughts.

"Clearly, you were helping others clear up debris from ruined structures. Are you looking for missing people or something else?" Dengekiko continues her interview.

"Missing people… and casualties," the man said with an audible swallow, "we can manage with damaged property but," just before the man was about to speak again, he wipes his eyes before he tries to continue. Trying to get a few more words in, the man stutters inaudibly trying to sniff some of the snot falling along with his tears, his downcast expression finally falling into one of gut wrenching despair. The words 'daughter', 'found', and 'late' are all that became understandable amid his attempts at stifling his hurt.

" _I asked the wrong question,"_ is all Dengekiko thought, guilty that she hadn't considered the implications of asking a question like that.

Dengekiko, sympathetic and close to shedding a tear, gives the man a comforting pat on the back that eventually became an embrace. The man on her shoulders finally let it all out, loss and anguish altogether. As the man cries, people from around them began to feel horrible, some gripping hard whatever they could just to ease the terrible helplessness they all feel. With a few cries here and there, this man in her shoulders wasn't the only one who lost someone.

"This was Dengekiko reporting live from Ecruteak City. Back to you, HQ," Dengekiko says before the screen switches to show a news anchor sitting by a desk and a large screen that used to show Dengekiko's coverage besides her.

"Thank you, Dengekiko," the lady news anchor says, "This just in: the unknown entity that emerged from the Interdimensional Portal 2 days ago has just been spotted leaving the Lowee borders. Once again, military units couldn't track down the illegal immigrant due to its 'supersonic speed.' More on that as it develops," she says as she shuffles the paper on her desk.

"Next up: survivors of the scout force sent by Lastation has just returned with new info about the mysterious floating landmass that appeared out of nowhere at the mainland's base a week ago…"

As the news continues, people go about their businesses either outside the streets of Planeptune or inside their homes and offices. All the while, people glanced at the recent coverages, each giving their own comments and reactions. Including the recent coverage Dengekiko did, a total of five viral horde incidents have occurred over the past week. Generally, the people are slightly worried over what is happening all over Gamindustri. Nonetheless, they all hoped for the best and that the many Guild agents and fighters quelling the hordes would find a way to ending this soon.

But there was a stark contrary to this busy nation and it was right at the very purple and white tower which served as the symbol of the nation's ambitions, the residence of the nation's ruler…

* * *

[CPU's Room, CPU Residential Floor, Nep Tower]

Laying upon the soft, cozy pillows was a purple haired girl in her soft powder blue pajama dress. Her braid laid messy upon her small back. The cool air soothed her soft, light skin just enough that her warmth and the coolness mixed together to blanket her in bliss. Nothing else mattered for her as she lazily left her limbs and her body to sink into the softness of her bed. Even her gentle snoozes were muted out from her comfortable sleep.

A small fairy sitting on a book approaches the brightly decorated room, floating through the brightly colored hallway of the tower's residential floor. Her pale purple dress with childish ruffles and white baby bonnet were somewhat disheveled. Strands were sticking up from her pigtailed blonde hair. All the while, her audible sigh eases what stress has built up from the week's horrible workload. Still, she ignored this in favor of reminding a certain someone to do her job.

The aroma of a nursery slips through the door's gap as the little fairy pushes it open with her tiny hands, fluttering her wings quickly in an effort to ease the task.

The first thing she sees is the childish room, themed with light variants of blue, pink, and yellow. The whole room was lined with hand-made dolls of the owner's friends, though one of the dolls (which was a twin-tailed raven haired individual) particularly stood out what with it being separated from the rest. The table near the doll-lined shelves seemed fresh from someone eating tangerines. There was also a console sitting before a large LCD screen.

The second thing the little fairy sees however is the ruler of their nation sleeping her lazy bum off!

Analog alarms indicating her internal processes reaching a precarious point made the little fairy vibrate in irritation. Even though her stress level was in a mess, she knew complaining about this predicament wasn't going to solve anything. She had a CPU to wake up for her to do her duties again.

"Plutia," the little fairy calls with her toddler voice, tugging at the sleeping girl, "the others are holding an emergency summit right now. Please, wake up! (/ﾟДﾟ)/"

The girl named Plutia groans. With her pleasant sleep disturbed, she shifts about on her bed hugging a nearby pillow with her arms and stocking-covered legs to comfort her back to dreamland. It seemed like there was a voice calling out to her but the softness of her bed beckoned her to forget about it, attempting to block off that annoying garble with the pillow beneath her head.

Something clicks inside the little fairy. Thankfully, the frequency of this 'scene' prompted her to make use of a trump card that was left behind not long ago. She would have to thank that mad scientist magician for this contraption she got. She pulls out a remote with a couple of buttons on it from her inventory.

" _I've had about enough of this_ (#ΦwΦ) _,"_ Histoire thought as she presses the 'on' button, "forgive me, Plutia."

Loud running footsteps stomps the floor leading to the room where Plutia slept. Even so, the sleepy head still snoozes on her soft bed. With the annoying tugging no longer tugging, she supposed she could finally sleep to her heart's content…

"NEPGYA! NEPGYA! NEPGYA! NEPGYA!"

… until the agonizing screams of a Nepgear robot with a face of peculiar suffering shrieks throughout the room, the loudness penetrating through the walls of the residence area of the building.

In that instant, a startled Plutia flips out of the bed she was sleeping on, dropping onto the floor with a thud. She groggily rises up as she wipes the sleep in her eyes to see what on earth was that horrible siren.

"Whoa… Nepgear?" Plutia groggily asks, her hands were covering her ears now.

The Nepgear robot, however, continued to sound off its earsplitting shriek as it circles around the room like a buffoon, arms flailing and everything.

Seeing Plutia awake and probably ringing in the head, Histoire presses the 'off' button on the remote. Just like that, the pained screams slowly died down. Histoire also brought down her hand covering her ear. She withdraws the remote back into her inventory and glares at the CPU crouching beneath her.

"Ow… That surprised me…" Plutia massages her ears and still ringing head.

"Are you finally awake, Plutia? (｀ε´)" The little fairy says with a tinge of frustration in her tone.

Plutia slowly perks up. She then sees the tiny fairy floating just above her head. Seeing the fairy greet her this early in the morning gave her a pleasant feel, though she had to wonder why that tiny thing looked somewhat ragged.

"Good morning, Histy… You look tired… Maybe you should take a nap…" Plutia says with an innocent smile.

" _How I wish you could switch places with me._ (*-_-) _"_ Histoire sighs, grumbling in her thought.

Seeing as Plutia has finally risen from her bed, there was no way this little fairy would let this sleepy head hear the words 'sleep', 'nap', or 'rest' for today.

"Plutia, it's the middle of the day. Besides, there's an urgent matter you need to attend to as- " Histoire was saying.

"Uh, Histoire? Is everything alright in there?" A teenage feminine voice asks from outside the room, the blur of it indicating the speaker was far from the room.

"Huh? That sounded like Noire…" Plutia stood up upon hearing the voice.

Before Histoire could finish, Plutia already left. Whatever the little fairy was saying fell on deaf ears, much to the chagrin of the fairy on the book.

"I guess this is better than nothing. ┐( ˘_˘ )┌" Histoire shrugs.

Histoire proceeds outside of the room, following the tracks of the purple CPU.

* * *

Jogging towards the source of the voice, Plutia finds herself at the Basilicom's living area, an undivided space which has the dining area near the windows and the lounge area on the opposite end near the entrance. The bright rays entering the large clear windows gave her a slight headache from the sudden contrast of brightness. Just like Plutia's room, the place is also childish, the simple dining area being the most mature themed of the place. The lounge area sport furniture of bright colors and shelves lined with stuff toys, pictures, and books. Beneath the LCD screen are two black gaming consoles – one is shaped like a cross while the other is a small, roundish square with lots of other peripherals on it. There sitting adjacent to each other on the yellow sofas were three of her friends. On the table were lots of yummy snacks and drinks catered to them by Histoire.

"And speak of the devil," the calm blonde in green says.

Plutia catches the attention of her 'big' friend. She sat firmly holding a cup of tea on a saucer over her deep teal slip dress, though her lax blue eyes seem to have been shaken awake a little from something loud recently. She leans forward placing the cup of tea and saucer back on the table all lady-like, her back upright as she did so. Reclining on her seat, she crosses her arms underneath her heaving bosoms, an act she looks to be proud of doing with her mature, curvaceous body. She is the CPU of Leanbox, Vert.

"That was some kind of alarm you have," the pale-skinned girl quietly says.

Another one of Plutia's friends, she looked as young as Plutia herself what with their small frame and bust. Though worry is present in her blue eyes from the recent shriek, she tries to remain at ease like her warm, unique autumn themed shrine maiden set – black tank top beneath a white kimono jacket with some sort of rectangular talisman hanging by each sleeve, red pleated short skirt, white knee high stockings, black wooden sandals. As she regains her composure, she fixes her large similarly themed cap sitting atop her milky chocolate hair with a slight nudge from her hand. She is the CPU of Lowee, Blanc.

"Noire, Blanc, Vert, its sooo good of you to come and play…" Plutia cheerfully says.

"I'm the CPU of Lastation. I didn't come all the way here just to play. There's an important crisis going on all over Gamindustri!" The strict teen calling herself the CPU of Lastation declares.

Just then, Plutia's twin-tailed, raven haired friend known as Noire, as a show of her displeasure, crossed her grey sleeve covered arms, positioning them just below her black tank top piece strapped by a belt and above her bare midriff. In her annoyance, she shifts her crossed legs, not caring whether someone saw beyond the absolute territory between her black pleated short skirt and blue garter-strapped thigh-highs when her feet felt uncomfortable in their grey boots. Her maroon eyes squinted slightly as her glabella furrowed, clearly annoyed at Plutia's carefree motives.

"Important cry sis?... What?... You have a crying sister?" Plutia asks, tilting her head curiously to her side.

Noire only sighs. Her impatience made her forget just how slow Plutia was. She supposes Plutia could get away this time. Still, that shriek from earlier did make her worry. Not that she was concerned for Plutia or anything. Nope.

"Anyway, what on earth just happened?" Noire asks, looking to Histoire thinking she was a better choice to query.

"Did Plutia…" Before Blanc could finish, a lump audibly made its way through her throat as she tries to say the following word, "transform?"

Not realizing themselves, Noire and Vert suddenly felt chills jolt their muscles.

"Histy made Nepgear tease me!" Plutia, with eyes squinting in grief, runs over to her group of friends.

"They probably didn't mean harm, Plutia. How about you join us in this summit?" Vert speaks first, gesturing to the purple head to occupy the vacant chair, "but where is Nepgear?" Vert, with a concerned expression, looks to Histoire who responds by showing a remote control.

"That wasn't really Nepgear. It was just a robot… (⌒_⌒;)" Histoire reassures Vert with a whisper, the latter sighing in relief knowing Plutia did not 'torment' her again.

"Besides, we got urgent stuff to talk about, Plutia. We need your participation in this," Noire follows up, though her way of calling Plutia was a tad stern.

"In exchange, I'll play with you and Peashy after we're finished. 'Kay?" Blanc, thinking she could capitalize on this situation, opts to squeeze in a few Lily Rank points while she was at it. This, however, didn't go unnoticed by a certain twin-tailed raven haired teen who happens to sleuth her motives which would explain the animosity she's feeling. She supposed she could ignore it knowing it is from that uptight bitch.

"Reeeally? Yaaay!" Plutia plops herself onto the comfortable sofa, completing the quartet equally circling the round table.

Histoire sighs, relieved that Plutia has joined the summit. Finally, Histoire rejoins the group with a renewed sense of productivity.

"Now that everyone's here…" Noire pulls out a tablet for everyone to see. Her serious face was on. "This is the current situation of the new viral zone located at the base of the continent's mainland."

At the same time, Noire places the tablet onto the table. She presses a button which spawned a hologram riddled with statistical figures and data along with an accurate 3D model of the entire Gamindustri map which was composed of four continents: the triangular mainland that housed Planeptune, Lowee, and Lastation, the smaller PC Continent to the east, the equally smaller Hello Continent to the west, and the Leanbox Continent to the south which was median among them in size. The 3D model then zoomed onto a certain spot at the mainland's base where an ominous floating landmass was.

Noire then waves her hand over the hologram display, sweeping the unnecessary details she thought the others wouldn't and needn't understand.

The display then changes to feature the peculiar floating landmass instead. It was rocky and desolate. Dark purple crystalline protrusions rising from the ground. Other than those, the top of the landmass is generally a plane. It was an inverted near-perfect cone to be exact. According to the measurements labeled onto the floating interface, the landmass is 18,000 km at the plane's (cone's base) diameter, 16,000 km high, and 5,000 km above sea level from the lowest tip.

With the model set, Noire starts the discussion, "survivors of a scout group I sent there three days ago confirmed the landmass, which rose into existence a week ago, as the cause and source of all the viral monster hordes."

"I thought as much," Vert says.

Vert was indifferent. Deducing what Noire said based on recent events which include the viral monster horde attacks and the sudden appearance of the floating landmass was simple for her perceptive mind. Looking at Blanc, Vert could say the same for her. Plutia on the other hand, seemed like she saw a ghost.

"Whoa… That doesn't look good…" Plutia, with a hand over her gaping mouth, says.

"Well, that's just the prologue," Noire replied, seeing as the others either thought as much or was too slow to really know about it.

"Noire is right. Everyone, please look closely at the center of the landmass. m9(°△°)" Histoire then floats close to the display and points to the center of the landmass. As if the hologram realized what Histoire meant, the display shifted its rendering to accentuate the gas coming from the center. There seems to be some sort of smog spreading from the landmass's center where the smog is thickest.

"What is that?" Blanc quirks a brow while inquisitively keeping a stare at the thing she was seeing.

"That cloud or, rather, smog is a cluster of a new virus…" Noire eerily says.

All it took was Noire's statement to give the three other CPUs cold sweat running down their spine. New virus? Vert and Blanc could already see where Noire was going with this and they weren't liking it one bit, both gulping a lump as their train of thought continues. Plutia on the other hand was busy gasping at the news, unaware of the possible implications this was leading to.

"So, which do you wanna hear first: good news or bad news?" Noire asks.

Noire looks to Vert and Blanc who are both looking at each other for confirmation. Plutia, on the other hand, is somewhat processing what Noire is showing them. She guesses a little push wouldn't hurt so she decides to let Plutia sort things on her own. Besides, Vert and Blanc seems eager to know more about this new development.

"It's always lighter to the conscience if the good things come after the bad," Vert said as she gestured Noire to continue her report, to which the latter nods.

"Because of the altitude this landmass is situated, the virus has already spread throughout Gamindustri. But that's not the only problem," Noire resumes.

Noire presses the only button on the tablet which caused the display to change into several cubes arranged into a 9x9 cube. Noire picks one of the cubes and the display instantly changes into a round spiky sphere coupled with interfaces around it. One label caught the attention of the other CPUs and it was the one showing 'Virus X'. Their pondering looks was the sign for Noire to continue her explanation.

"This new virus can remain safely dormant as it freely travels anywhere: through the earth, air, physical contact, even the waters. Temperature doesn't even bother it," Noire adds.

"That explains the hordes in Lowee," Blanc mutters, almost cursing under her breath.

Blanc thought about it and recalled the abnormal monster horde incidents at Lowee. Given that the virus is coming from a landmass near the tropical areas, she supposed it couldn't reach Lowee's colder lands. Apparently, that theory goes out the window much like her sigh leaving with her breath.

While Blanc is taking in some realizations, Vert has just finished reading the data on the interface and she isn't liking what she is seeing.

"Virus Catalyst?" Vert inquires.

"That's right," Noire replies, "the worst part of this bad news is that this particular virus greatly increases the potency of viral mutations making it affect even the ones not known to go viral and heightening a viral monster's intelligence noticeably. You guys know monsters go viral via a cocktail of viruses wreaking havoc to their data make up, right? Worse: the samples we have are already mutated…"

Just as Noire finishes laying out the info, Histoire steps or, rather, floats in to supplement Noire's report.

"This virus takes the available viruses around, homogenizes with them, and replicates into many forms. Making a vaccine for this is impossible. 〜(＞＜)〜" Histoire adds.

"So why not nuke the damn place?!" Blanc aggressively says, infuriated eyes showing signs of her tipping point.

Hearing all these bad news was pulling Blanc's strings. Her fists are already clenched, her eyes already glaring, and her nerves are urging her to stand up and go, remembering a viral horde attack one of the cities in Lowee. _"Even though Samus and I managed to pummel those assholes, I can't let any more of those bastards sic more of my Lowee!"_ Blanc thought. Not only that, she only just recently heard of the stolen katana hidden in Lowee during the time she was dealing with the Ecruteak City attack. She is not about to share with the others about that insight, though. Clobbering the source of it all would probably be the best option if Blanc were to be asked. In fact, she felt like turning into her HDD, materialize her axe, and start going Hail Mary on that pile of floating shit!

"But…" Plutia's lax voice cuts through the tension.

Out of nowhere, Plutia of all people interrupts Blanc's train of rage. Everyone jerks to face the purple slowpoke. To their surprise, Plutia was wearing a rather calm expression with eyes slightly squinted and focused, though it was as calm as her clueless self was. All three of them were in slight disbelief to what Plutia was exhibiting.

"Plutia?"

Noire asks first, gesturing for the purple head to say what she wanted to say.

All ears were on Plutia.

"Um… You see… It's not just the virus that's the problem… They're smarter… and the virus is everywhere… and the monsters are scarier, too…" Plutia explains, slightly nervous as she proceeds.

"What? But isn't that my point?" Blanc retorted, making the ditz flinch in surprise.

Blanc, though she liked Plutia, is quirking her confused brow to the purple head coupled with an annoyed stare and frown.

On the other hand, Vert had just put her finger away from her chin after a brief analysis of Plutia's words. Then, she realizes what she truly meant, the same way Histoire is opening her mouth, seemingly intent to speak her mind. Vert then points her finger to an invisible lightbulb after her hypothesis has formulated.

"Are you perhaps saying that the monsters are too powerful and the virus too widespread to be efficiently eliminated through conventional means?" Vert inquires, "that we need to face it with a different approach?"

And after Vert finishes, Plutia brightens up, stars sparkling within her eyes and around her happy face. Her hands are also together after clapping them to her friend's success.

When the discussion was about to continue, a nearby phone ring catches everyone's attention. Histoire floats to the phone wondering who could it be while the four CPUs pause their discussion so as not to disturb whoever was calling. They believe it to be something of import considering the caller is directly using the line for the CPU.

Histoire lifts the phone and answers with her usual line, "hello? Planeptune Basilicom and residence of Iris Heart. This is Histoire speaking. (^-^*)/"

"Ah, Lady Histoire! Great timing! This is Sparkster and I am returning from my mission from the new landmass!" The caller who identifies himself as Sparkster speaks as loud as he could through the static with his young, energetic, chivalrous tiny voice.

The sound of a strong gust of wind and jet engines could be heard from the other line as Histoire quite instinctively pushed the phone away from her tiny fairy ear. She then presses the loudspeaker button on the phone so as not have to struggle getting deaf from the loud sound coming from Sparkster's end.

" _Sparkster is probably flying right now. Hold on. Mission?_ σ(￣、￣〃) _"_ Histoire thought.

As Histoire lay the phone back onto its rest, the phone's loudspeakers light up from Sparkster's voice and environment.

"Hello? Lady Histoire? Are you still there?" Sparkster asks.

"Yes, I am here. I merely put the phone on loudspeaker. Anyway, you were saying? (・・)?" Histoire responds.

"Ah, yes! I am returning from a mission Lady Iris Heart gave me a week ago to investigate and seek out a peculiar monster never seen before!" Sparkster replies.

"So that's why Sparkster was missing! (ﾟロﾟ) !" And as if eureka had struck, Histoire exclaims with her hand pounding the other hand's palm.

All the while, Noire, Vert, and especially Blanc are dumbfounded, their brows quirking along with an imaginary question mark floating beside their heads.

"What? What are you guys on about?" Noire asks.

"You see, a week ago… (*^.^*)" Histoire starts retelling the week prior…

* * *

[Otori Forest, Planeptune, Ultradimension, 1 week ago]

It is a nice day as usual in the beautifully modestly forested area of Otori Forest: clear blue skies that can be seen thanks to the forest canopy's many openings, cool breeze carrying petals and leaves with it, and gentle sunshine bathing everything with a nice morning dose of vitamin D. Birds are chirping as they perch form one tree to another, said trees stood at comfortable distances for all creatures big and small. Butterflies and bees flutter about the flower beds decorating the many clearings scattered about the ground, the picturesque mix of dominant green with the colorful patches of flowers vibrantly coloring the mildly forested landscape. Monsters meekly look over at other bigger entities walking about the forest clearing, said bigger entities are either lumbering over the thick shrubs or flying proudly above the canopy and majestic cliff sides. Flowing water in the streams hosts both thirsty creatures nearby and fishes swimming up and down the stream.

Among the many roaming entities in the forest was the group of girls walking or running about the wide forest path, either casually walking about or running in loops as they head for their destination. One of them is Plutia, walking without a care in her pajama dress and pink teddy bear indoor slippers. Along with her are three of her friends: a brunette, a blonde kid, and an opossum in knight armor with jetpacks. Other than Plutia and the blonde little kid who are enjoying the sunny day, the brunette and the opossum knight are busy checking something, the brunette fiddling her phone and the opossum calmly scanning their flanks as they move.

"Whoa! Look! Dogoo!" The blonde kid exclaims pointing with one of her hands wearing one pair of the Star Gloves – a pair of grey metal punching gloves – when her blue eyes spy a Platinum Dogoo bouncing frantically away from something. Not waiting for anyone, the blonde kid runs after the platinum blob that is now bouncing away from her swirling arms, her red sneakers kicking up dust and her pair of red hair bobbles bobbing as she did. She giggles all the way as she chases down her target like an excited bumblebee which matches with her equally bumblebee-themed jacket complete with the bouncing oval 'tail.'

"Huh? Wait, Peashy! That's not a Metal Dogoo!" The brunette calls out after her glancing leaf colored eyes checks at the group, the girl named Peashy's call catching her attention. Immediately, the brunette jogs after Peashy, her long hair and her oversized blue coat gently lifting from the ends. All the while, she holsters back her phone to one of her many cellphone holders strapped to her large jacket's unbuckled belt.

As the two go off, the other two who are left behind pause as it all transpires, Plutia smiling at the sight of her energetic friends. The latter, though, is looking to Plutia with unsure eyes, likely asking if it is okay for their two companions to run off on their own.

"Uh, Lady Iris Heart," the opossum gazes up to his superior, "should I go after them? I'm not sure if Lady IF can handle her."

Plutia nods, her hands clap together, "they look like they're having fun… Let's go and play together, Sparkster!" And just as Plutia says what she thought, the ironically jolly sleepy head struts off to find the rest.

Sparkster pauses, seeing his nation's CPU walk off like any other girl her age having fun. He shrugs his armored shoulders and quirks his brow that barely showed under his blue knight helmet before running off, his blue armor, proportionally sized sword, and jetpack clanging their metal parts.

But just as he was chasing after his companions, a peculiar silhouette that looked to be a Tulip monster just peering its head above a bush catches his attention. However, just as he took notice, the Tulip flees inside the thick greenery. Sparkster decides to continue going after Plutia and the others, deeming the matter of little import.

"It probably thought I was too strong," Sparkster thought before finally going after the rest of his party.

* * *

Within the forest, Peashy runs after the platinum blob to a shrub, her target jumping inside the leafy hide. She recklessly jumps in, arms and legs wide open which would explain the bandage on one of her knees. Diving in, her small body breaks a few twigs and branches as she falls, her face smiling silly baring her tiny kiddie fangs at the same time. As she rummages inside the bush, she spots droplets of platinum slime. Grinning at the sight of the clue, she continues forward following the track.

"Peashy!" The brunette referred to as IF calls out to the little bumblebee, slightly gasping after finally running. IF, taking her experiences to good use, sweeps through the tall grass checking for signs of a little bumblebee running in any direction. After a few kicks, she sees a patch of grass and soil shoved deep, consistent patterns of a shoe's sole apparent. IF continues down the path she thinks Peashy went.

However, she senses something off.

The brunette pauses, checking the surroundings. For some reason, there was an absence of any noise. The birds suddenly stopped chirping which is followed by the fading sound of wings flapping away, a flock of birds flying away from her location. Nothing but the rustling of leaves echoed throughout the forest. Though the sight of the lush forest streaked with the sunlight peering through the canopy is serene to look at, the uneasy silence didn't bode well for the experienced traveler.

" _I've been through many forests in my life and silence is never a good sign,"_ IF thought as she briskly walks towards where Peashy probably went, her intuitions telling her to leave the forest as soon as they can.

* * *

As Peashy runs after the little blob, she realizes that she's alone. _"Hrrrm! Ploot is so slow!"_ Peashy puffs her cheeks, disappointed that her companions are too slow. Regardless, she proceeds further inside the forest following the probable direction of the Dogoo. Eventually, she arrives at a large, round pit after walking down a natural ramp. Looking around as she walks, her curious glances looking for that particular platinum slime starts to feel traces of boredom and impatience. Just as she is about to pout her way back to the others, Peashy lights up as she sees that elusive little slime frantically bouncing around trying to look for a viable path to take.

However, unknown to the little blonde, there was another reason the Dogoo was very frightened. As it bounces around, it soon realizes that it has nowhere to run. Whether it jumps over the ledge or run back, it's either it gets pummeled by some blonde kid or, probably worse, get turned into one of 'them'…

Beyond the ledges overlooking the pit, several silhouettes are carefully circling their prey. Miasma rise from their cracked bodies and their profuse salivation and snarls giving away their visceral urges. Primal as they are now, these creatures are surprisingly patient, each one looking at the adjacent monster to see if they are ready. Each responds with a nod as they gaze upon the two targets before their group. Some perch on the branches. Others crouch beneath the bushes. All the same, they bare their fangs, talons, and claws waiting for the signal to attack as they watch the blonde kid approach the Dogoo.

On the other hand, Peashy is creeping up to the Dogoo. Her fists are raised, ready to pound the little thing into a flat, platinum coin. She steps little by little, careful not to make any noise. Her anticipation is making her grin, trying to keep a giggle or squeal from leaving her breath. Finally, when she is at lunging distance from the Dogoo, her target sees her already in a contracted pouncing stance.

However, just as she is about to pounce, the howls of a wolf halts Peashy's actions.

Just then, viral monsters of all kinds burst out of the leafy hides overlooking the pit! One after another, they lunge or fly towards the two lone targets. All in all, they number more than twenty. Half of them aim for the blonde kid and the other aim for the Platinum Dogoo she was chasing a moment ago. Each of them attempts to scratch or bite them but the two targets proved to be agile, evading their surprise attacks despite startling their two targets. After their initial attack fails, they immediately circle into position. Viral Chocopis hover just above the area. Viral wolves circle around them. Viral Kupokitties and viral Ganglord Panthers bare their claws as they ready their next assault.

"Whoa! So many!" Peashy glances around as she raises her guard, shaken by the predicament she's in.

On the other hand, the cowering Platinum Dogoo is a little way from the blonde kid. It is also surrounded by a different circle of viral monsters. Realizing there is no way to run, it grits its teeth, steadies its somewhat defeated gaze, and prepares for the worse.

And, finally, at the howl of one of the viral wolves, all monsters once again lunge for their targets!

* * *

Plutia and Sparkster were walking down the forest in search of their friends when they heard the second howl. Sparkster immediately felt an air of uneasiness about that sound, mainly because wolves usually howl like that at night or when they have prey in their sights (from his experiences, at least). He reaches for his sword and readies his jetpacks for any possible situation. All the same, Plutia readies her weapon – a Noire Plushie – and holds it with one hand by its leg.

"Lady Iris Heart! I believe we-," Sparkster is cut short after a pillar of light appears from somewhere deep in the forest. He recognizes it to be the same kind when a CPU goes into HDD.

Without a moment's hesitation, the two rush off to where the light appeared. But as they head down the light's direction, they are blocked by a group of monsters. Sparkster immediately identifies all of them to be viral judging by the sinister, dark purple miasma rising from their cracked, dark purple bodies. However, he spotted some of the monsters that have never gone viral. Suspecting something amiss, Sparkster readies his sword at the fore, stepping beside his superior in case of the worst.

"I have visuals on 18 targets," Sparkster says, _"that's an unusually large number, 11 monsters too many for some random encounter."_ Sparkster thought as he glances their flanks in case there were others he didn't confirm yet.

At that instant Sparkster trailed his eyes away from one of the viral Ganglord Panthers, said Panther leaps towards the duo in an attempt to take advantage of the blue knight's averted gaze. Its viral claws sink themselves into Plutia's face, sending her flying onto a tree!

"Owie!" Plutia winces in pain, her eyes crossed from the pain on her cheek.

After the first blow, all the other monsters dive in from all directions around Sparkster, one wolf even sounding a howl as its group's battle cry. The opossum readies for impact. A third of the group encircles him, landing a few glancing parries as they do, while the rest swerves past him towards Plutia who was still recovering from the surprise attack. Sparkster immediately realizes their priority to be Plutia! Panicking, Sparkster turns around and tries to take some of the monsters' attentions away from his CPU. As good as he is, he knew he can't take many away by himself. "Lady Iris Heart!"

All the monsters lunge haphazardly, going all out to take out the CPU as she lay by the tree. Their target still lay as is, her one hand nursing her cheek and the other holding the plush doll she spawned earlier. Without any visible weapon, the monsters thought this target an easy prey…

Little did they know of what she could turn into.

Just before the nearest monster bore its claws onto Plutia's neck, time slows to an eventual halt. All the world turned grayscale as bits of data began to float around Plutia, the CPU floating into the air as it happened. After she settled, Plutia's pajamas and slippers disintegrate into bits of data. Her bare petite body then begins to mature into one that could rival Vert's as Share Energy surged through her. Her light purple braided hair goes undone, flowing freely as its color goes into a deep indigo. After her body finishes its change, her Plutia Processor Unit begins to form from the many bits coming together onto her body. On her torso formed an extremely skimpy black leotard that could only be described as a shoulder-strapless demi cup bra with a pair of equidistant straps horizontally crossing with a single strap going down to the T-back panties. Black sleeves and thigh-high heels spawn as well. Floating Processor parts form by her shoulders, back, hips, and feet, all sporting golden spiky protrusions from their black base. To finish off the clothing parts, the Megapolis head piece – a police hat-styled independent Processor piece – spawns on her head. Finally, her Noire Plushy integrates itself into a curved chain sword of magenta purple and black. As she raises her head, the shadow from the Megapolis's visor slowly leaving reveals her deep magenta eyes sporting the Symbol of Power glow into view full of carnal intent, letting herself known as Iris Heart.

When time began to turn once more and the light from Plutia's transformation died down, in the place of the aloof sleepy head is now a dominatrix waiting to exact 'service' unto anything before her heels. To her delight, there was a monster that just so happened to be beneath her heels by the time she awoke as Iris Heart. Not wasting any time, Iris Heart plants her heels onto the head of the viral Ganglord Panther, chuckling seductively as she drilled the sharp end onto its skull. The more she bore, the more she felt ecstasy surge through her. Twisting and pressing her heel, Iris Heart decides a little warm up wouldn't hurt before she lays it to these bitches…

That is until one of the so called bitches attacks Iris Heart.

"Oh?" Iris Heart cocks a brow as she checks her cocky attacker pressing her chain sword.

While she was preoccupied with the one on her heel and the one she's parrying, Iris Heart senses eight others coming at her from all angles! She decides to do away with the two at her mercy with a stomp for the one beneath her heel and riposte for the one she's parrying, turning the two into data fragments. At that exact moment, Iris Heart just barely dodges a simultaneous barrage coming from the others still around. As she avoided direct hits, Iris Heart felt some scratches in some blind parts.

"Cocky bitches," Iris Heart says with a touch of venom in her words, "wait for your turns!" Iris Heart then whips her chain sword, causing its segments to scatter violently into a storm of chakrams. Each and every piece shreds through some of the monsters that dared to approach her. In less than a second, all of the monsters that attacked her were nothing but data fragments falling from the air.

While Iris Heart fought, Sparkster is _"doing well"_ , he thought. Despite the difference in numbers, he did not consider these monsters to be dangerous, just annoying to deal with. However, there is one thing that's bothering him. As he inspects each of the monsters he is currently dealing with, he realizes why these monsters are surprisingly stronger for such a 'beginner-friendly' area. _"These monsters aren't native to this forest,"_ he thought. Just then, a howl sounds from behind him, startling him while he was clashing with a viral Chocopi. On instinct, he slashes behind him and, sure enough, the critical hit shuts the wolf up.

" _At least they aren't that smart despite having enough wits to split off into groups…"_ Sparkster, in slight relief, reassess the current threat he is in as nothing major. Instead of eliminating all of the ones before him, Sparkster readies his jetpack to head for Peashy's location. Looking over to Iris Heart, he is about to call out to his mistress when he sees something approach from deep inside the forest, its origin most likely the mountain beyond it. His notification instantly switches to that of a warning. Before he could alert his mistress, however, the viral monsters around him forces him otherwise. Not only are their attacks relentless, the noise from the wolves' howls are drowning his warnings meant for Iris Heart. _"I can't get away from these!"_ Sparkster thought as he struggles to break away from the monsters. He is about fed up with how these monsters are dealing with him that he can't even charge his jetpacks. Groaning under his breath, Sparkster stays on his toes as he defends himself against these numerous foes that are still increasing!

But more importantly, someone has to warn Iris Heart about the pack coming at her.

Racing from within the forest, a pack of dark purple viral Fenrirs, one kind tinted a dull blue and another tinted red-orange, is fast approaching. Their crimson gaze is currently fixated unto the floating human figure that has just finished off some of their fellow monsters. As they get closer, they bellow something from within their anatomy. Some caused embers to flare from their snout while some caused clouds of chilled air to form from their snarls.

"Hm?" Iris Heart pauses for a moment to check what she just heard, _"did Sparkster say something?"_

Before Iris Heart could worry further, the pack of Flame and Ice Fenrirs emerge from the forest and blasts a combined wave of fire and ice towards her! Patches of grass and rock burn and freeze chaotically.

Iris Heart, fortunately, uses one of her skills to avoid the wave and strike back at the new comers…

"Drive Stab!" Iris Heart blinks out of harm's way, appears right before an Ice Fenrir in the middle of the pack, and lashes at it with high speed strokes before sending it flying with a heel to its face!

Surprised, the other Fenrirs back off and cautiously encircles her. The Ice Fenrir Iris Heart struck got back on its feet snarling and grunting from the pain. All the while, another batch of monsters started appearing from whence the Fenrirs came. Some of them went towards Sparkster while most of them confronted the Planeptune CPU. With their increased numbers, the monsters, especially the Fenrirs, felt a lot more ferocious, eager to strike the CPU down before them. Yet again, one of them howls before the group lunges at Iris Heart.

Observing the monsters lunge towards her, Iris Heart feels thrill and disgust at the same time. Seeing these mere monsters try and lay their pathetic hands on her is simply cute and appalling for the dominatrix. "If you're so eager to get violated then just sit there and," Iris Heart, keeping a steady, commanding poise, raises her electrified chain sword, "BEHAVE!"

* * *

"Hiyah!" IF cuts a scurrying wolf down before resuming her run towards the pillar of light earlier. Most of the viral monsters appearing seem to be rushing towards where the light appeared. _"I hope I can make it to Peashy,"_ IF thought as she guns down a viral Chocopi just flying above her with a pistol. After all, Lady Plutia will be really upset if something bad happens to her and she is not going to like an angry Plutia one bit. Despite her large blue coat, she shivers at the thought of it.

For some reason, however, she notices the viral monsters don't seem to bother her. While there are some that actually attack her, much of them would just pass by her instead. _"It couldn't be, right?"_ IF comes up with a probable reason after jumping over a small stream. She dismisses it, however, believing that these monsters must be acting only on instinct. _"They're just sensing the CPUs more because of their powerful presence, right?"_ IF thought as she approaches what appears to be an open area judging by the light coming through it.

Upon arriving at the edge overlooking a large pit, IF witnesses the mayhem happening right before her.

Peashy, now Yellow Heart, is consecutively pouncing on every viral monster unfortunate enough to get caught by her chain of 'Fang Slash' attacks – a somersault that has her slashing down her target with both her giant claws. She's quite serious and visibly irritated as she is fighting, contrary to how she usually acts. Her eyes are fierce and her usual giggles are replaced with annoyed growls under her breath as she comically pounds two monsters with each other. All the while, she constantly declares how "this is no fun" as she shreds another monster. Just as she was done with her current target, more attack her from everywhere. Again, she growls at the sight of them. Thankfully, her speed makes up for it as she counters with various claw strikes. If only monsters didn't dissipate into data, the grounds would have been filled with lumps of chopped, bloody meat.

"Peashy!" IF calls out as she slides down the pit, anxious to help her friend. Upon touching down, a pair of viral monsters trying to intercept her are cut down by her favorite Qatars. Looking over to Yellow Heart's side, IF frantically races to get to her dear friend's side, slicing down viral monsters not paying her attention in hopes of easing her friend's load. As she proceeds, however, she notices another individual fighting their enemies just a few meters from Yellow Heart's side.

Bouncing and pounding onto its enemies, a Platinum Dogoo desperately keeps itself alive as it takes out one viral monster after another. If it was just any other Dogoo, it would have fallen long ago. But one could see the disparity between it and a monster from the enemy side. It is nimble and surprisingly tough, a trait most likely because of its 'Platinum' make up. IF believes her Qatars will either bounce of or slip through its body. But even so, IF judges that Dogoo's situation as anything but advantageous what with it against numerous foes at the same time.

" _No sooner will that poor thing fall,"_ IF thought and her experience as a Guild Agent bets on that.

Yet again, another howl from a viral Wolf resounded.

IF takes her attention back to Yellow Heart who is still fairly doing well from the looks of it. That viral Wolf howling and barking in some peculiar pattern behind Yellow Heart is catching IF's attention as well. As she slashes her way to Yellow Heart, IF could swear she recognizes that pattern that viral wolf is making but cannot ascertain as to what or where. For now, her concern lay in aiding Yellow Heart, clear the monsters, and rejoin with Iris Heart and Sparkster.

"Iffy!" Yellow Heart, noticing the blue blur on the corner of her eyes, calls out to her childhood friend as she kicks an annoying viral Chocopi away. Yellow Heart zips for IF's position, acrobatically slicing, dicing, and pounding any monster in her way. As soon as she arrives at IF's six, she casts Virtual Cushion and Power Control on both of them, improving their fortitudes and physical offenses.

Back to back with each other's company, the two girls feel a little more at ease. The monsters have momentarily halted their relentless assault as they reassess the situation now that the newcomer has arrived by the CPU's side. Though, the monsters attacking the Platinum Dogoo still did not let up, much to the dismay of the platinum thing as it twists and stretches around to avoid their attacks. While Yellow Heart is conditioning herself for another wave from the monsters, IF paces near her, briefly informing her of an important detail.

"Peashy, we need to meet up with Lady Plutia and Sparkster," IF says, keeping a steady gaze at the monsters, "forget about the quest we have and run towards the direction I came from. You saw where I came from, right?"

With a tough huff, Yellow Heart nods before lunging at her nearest target, an arcane circle forming beneath her feet as she propels herself forward.

IF, on the other hand, jumps high into the air readying a cluster of daggers with her hands. Pulling her arms into a cross, IF prepares to unleash the fury of her EXE Drive…

" _This'll clear a path!"_ IF, as she ascends to the peak of her jump, throws the white, glowing daggers below her, all while declaring her enemies' doom, "I'll send all of you to HELL!"

[Apocalypse Nova .exe]

The cluster of daggers showering all over the monsters below her pin whatever is unfortunate or slow enough to have been unable to move away. The volley sinks through the numerous monsters' bodies causing pained cries from the gravely wounded monsters, impaling them onto the ground. The daggers rain down all the way to the direction IF came from earlier, trees and leaves splinter and rip respectively as the daggers pierce through the canopy.

With the daggers set, IF readies her descent by spawning an arcane circle above her before rearing herself towards the earth below. Looking at the base of the dagger line she made, IF makes final adjustments to her position. She thought how bad it would be for her to miss considering the number of monsters she's spotting from her altitude. Finally, with her glowing Qatar, IF propels herself with the circle and descends towards the earth for the finale.

Yellow Heart, who is gashing at the viral monsters at her altitude, notices a few stragglers aiming for her friend. Using one of the incoming monsters from behind her, she vaults on the viral Crystal Golem's inexistent face and speeds past the flock of viral Chocopis out to get IF. Using the momentum of her flight, Yellow Heart somersaults, making use of the Magnus Effect, to curve ball towards the Chocopis. Her claws gash at the ones at the fore before her momentum puts her right at the center of the flock. She grins in glee. An instant after the dead Chocopis dissipate into data, Yellow Heart lashes out at every single Chocopi in the flock.

"Teya-Teya-Teya-Teya-Teya-Teya!" Despite her ridiculously cute voice, she bears no intent for fun. Not when a dear friend is on the line!

With Yellow Heart taking care of the probable nuance, IF lays in the finisher after descending past the frenzy Yellow Heart is causing. With her glowing Qatar packed with energy connecting with the earth, IF channels the condensed energy through the earth and onto the many daggers she scattered. As the earth crumbled, the daggers lit up until eventually the energy channeled into them reached the threshold, causing an array of light to blast into the sky, deep into the earth, and around the surface. Everything swallowed by the light is incinerated! Nothing but a bright hell dominated the forest for a brief moment. Once it dissipates, a long, wide chunk of the forest is gone as well as the monsters caught up in the EXE Drive's vicinity. In its wake is a path leading to where IF came from.

"Peashy!" IF calls for her friend and motions for their escape, eager to take this chance now that the monsters are disoriented.

Peashy hears her and breaks away from the Chocopi flock with a powerful, sonic boom-causing dive to where IF is. Seeing the path IF made fills her with relief now that she can ditch these annoying monsters. She simply shoves any monster in her way as she is too preoccupied with gleefully getting away from here.

But there is one monster that has other plans.

Sluggishly moving about, the Platinum Dogoo succumbs to its wounds and lays to the ground unmoving for a few moments. Just as it splatters down, its body begins emitting a dark, purple miasma. Purple traces begin appearing throughout its platinum goo as it slowly groans back to life. Taking in some of the goo it lost earlier, the Platinum Dogoo locks its red eyes onto the flying white figure some distance from it. It stretches its gooey body like a rubber band being pulled back before slinging itself forward, the force imploding the ground beneath it!

Unaware, Yellow Heart is hit by an unidentified metal shell from her flank. Quite harshly, she crashes onto the earth covered in platinum slime. Said slime, however, didn't stay as slime when it immediately slurps around Yellow Heart's busty body, down her limbs, and finally onto her wrists and ankles. At those points the slime blobs snapped themselves back together into one, locking the wrists and ankles together and forcing the CPU into a hog tie made of semi-viscous metal slime. With the limbs locked, the slime then hardens the slime-made cuffs into heavy metal, pushes the weight in a certain direction, and poises Yellow Heart in an uncomfortable position where her whole front lay bare with nothing but the surface of her lap supporting her and the Platinum Dogoo's weight which has become heavy from turning into solid metal. As if her posture isn't bad enough, the Platinum Dogoo's semi-viscous appendages were tightening their hold onto certain parts of Yellow Heart's body, squeezing the CPU into a mix of agonized screams and suggestive moans.

"Peashy!" IF panics into a frantic rush for her bonded friend. From her perspective, Yellow Heart was gleefully flying towards her when some grey thing slams right onto her. The next thing she sees is what Yellow Heart is in now.

" _A Platinum Dogoo going viral?! But how?!"_ IF thought in sheer disbelief thinking the Dogoo would be  dead instead of viral.

IF cuts and shoots her way desperately through the monsters which were now trying to cut her off. Now that she's taken a good look at her adversaries, she realizes only now that not all of these monsters have been known to go viral. She sets that matter aside for now, however, and continues to where Peashy is.

"If only I could blast it with my spells…" IF curses under her breath as she readies a couple of her 'spell daggers' in case of an opening.

As she is approaching, a viral wolf races to Yellow Heart's position, much to the brunette's horror.

IF hastens her rescue attempt, though the monsters are continuously holding her back much to her dismay. For each second she loses trying to get past the monsters, she sees the wolf place itself in a contracted stance, seemingly looking to pounce onto the unguarded Yellow Heart.

"PEASHY!" IF screams as she rends another pair of viral monsters only for them to be immediately replaced by new ones.

With nothing between her body and the visceral viral wolf, Yellow Heart can only scream in pain as her demise slowly creeps closer until…

"Awooo Awooo Aw… Aw Awooo!" The viral wolf howls and barks in a peculiar rhythm.

" _It's that howl again…"_ IF thought as she fends off some of the monsters. Again, that pattern piqued something from her memory. She focuses on the wolf's barks and howls once more while parrying a couple of monsters.

"Awooo Awooo Aw… Aw Awooo!"

"Howl Howl Bark… Bark Howl."

Long Long Short… Short Long.

Da Da Di… Di Da.

Gasping from her realization, IF understands it to be Morse Code!

Unfortunately for IF, her realization came to late…

* * *

Awaiting at the face of the mountain overlooking the location from where the wolf was sounding the Morse Code is a whole battalion of Panzers charging up their guns. Each one is camouflaged beneath the vegetation covering the forested mountain side. Their audio sensors have picked up the wolf's signal, confirming it as the "Go Ahead" call. With their retinal systems locked onto the coordinates of the audio's source, the Panzers rotate their guns to the direction of the would be blast zone, performing preliminary corrections while their monotone robot voices voice out their actions. The mountain's forest did a good job concealing their guns' brightening flash beneath the thick shrubs and canopy. After a couple of adjustments, they voice out the fateful command…

"FIRE!" Altogether, the Panzers fire off pairs of fully charged blasts careening towards the target!

* * *

Out of nowhere, a blast causes IF to jerk towards the mountains only to see a bright cluster of energy heading towards their location! IF tries to run only to be tackled to the ground by a bunch of monsters who are haphazardly hugging, pinning her to the ground! She wrestles her way out by slashing and stabbing at the stubborn suicidal monsters only for more to add to the dogpile. Meanwhile, some of the monsters on her are scratching and biting onto her equally defenseless sprawled position.

All the pain she is experiencing now, however, would pale in comparison to what that energy blast would bring…

As time seemingly slows down around her, IF loses strength in her flailing arms. The pain she is feeling, even that began to ease as her numbing body inevitably resigns itself to the fate that awaits her.

" _I'm sorry, Lady Plutia,"_ IF thought…

"LADY IF!" Until Sparkster zips through the dogpile and scoops her up!

IF snaps back to see the opossum knight carrying her away from the danger zone, though Sparkster's smaller body makes it look like IF is hanging onto a knight-shaped rocket. Surprised, she looks around to see the monsters pinning her are all but data fragments. Much to her additional relief, she spots Iris Heart careening at her maximum speed from where Sparkster came.

"Peashy!" Iris Heart raises her chain sword which eventually whips towards Yellow Heart's position in an attempt to hook her out of harm's way. With all the might and skill she could muster, Iris Heart extends her chain sword towards the helpless Yellow Heart, all the while taking note of the fast approaching energy blast. Inch by inch, the energy blast and the whip both race towards the bounded Yellow Heart…

And with the second that passed when all that happened, the entire battlefield is leveled by a deafening, violent explosion.

"HANG ON!" Sparkster declares as he tries to stabilize away from the epicenter. The shockwave causing turbulent winds to shake the little opossum and his load back and forth.

After the winds let up, Sparkster descends into the mushroom cloud forming to avoid any possible after-assault from the long range attackers. Prepping his goggles, Sparkster traverses through low visibility, navigating only by the HUD compass which is auto-directing him to where Iris Heart was previously known at. Though he remains calm, Sparkster couldn't help but feel worry for the current state of his CPUs.

"Lady Plutia! Peashy!" IF's case is different in that her panicking heart and chaotic thoughts are all screaming for the safety of her dear friends. With each passing second they see nothing but smoke, IF's anxiety grew even more.

Her worries thankfully disappear when they see the silhouette of Iris Heart. IF leaps from Sparkster's hold and lands a few meters from the humanoid silhouette… kneeling? Disregarding that fact, IF runs towards the silhouette to check on her Lady and friend…

"PEASHY!" Only to hear the voice of a worried Iris Heart.

IF's heart literally sunk. Never has Iris Heart yelled like that and never has Iris Heart ever sounded worried that bad. Approaching faster than her heart is beating, IF stops at the sight of what would probably scar her even more than Iris Heart's sadism.

"Lady Iris Heart! What's the status… of…" As Sparkster lands near his CPU's position, his voice trails off at the sight before him and IF.

There, kneeling and on the verge of tears, is Iris Heart cradling a limp Peashy in her arms. Around them was Iris Heart's sprawled out chain sword and traces of burnt platinum blobs that seem to spread out like it exploded. Looking closer, gashes, cuts, and large bite marks are visible throughout Iris Heart's body, excluding the newly acquired burns she now has which is the worst around her arms. But all that probable pain seems to be nothing compared to what the CPU is currently holding in her arms.

"What… happened?" Sparkster inquired, albeit stunned and almost speechless.

IF, who is now opposite of Iris Heart, looks around and recalls the Platinum Dogoo that latched and bounded Yellow Heart. From how the chain sword sprawled around them, the Dogoo, in a last ditch attempt, extruded out and blocked Lady Iris Heart's chain sword right before the impact. After realizing what happened, IF now hesitantly looks at Peashy who is horribly beaten up. Her bumblebee parka is in tatters, notably on the front. Right on her bare torso is a gruesome, burnt wound extending from her chest down to her lower abdomen. Apparently, the blast transformed her back to her human form and continuously dealt damage further after. Even though it was Iris Heart, IF could no longer hold back the urge to gently take Peashy from Iris Heart, cradle the little girl, and try to heal her.

"Green Nova!" IF hovers her hand over to Peashy, the green light enveloping around the latter's small frame. After the skill, IF, once again, calls out her name in futile effort as the little girl remains limp in her arms.

"I've already tried that," Iris Heart responds which greatly depresses IF who is now repeatedly, desperately casting Green Nova beyond what her SP reserves could handle. Seeing the grief in IF's efforts, Iris Heart herself felt the guilt in her failure, a feeling she's discovering to be unpleasant. Despite all she could, she failed to protect Peashy…

But there is still something else she can do with the seething rage building up inside her.

Looking over to where the energy blast came from, Iris Heart felt nothing but contempt as her gaze pierces through the smoke rising all around them, her magenta eyes glowing furiously within the mushroom cloud. In that moment, a powerful surge of Share energy accumulated around Iris Heart, whipping up a sinister gust around her and enveloping herself with magenta aura.

And without warning, Iris Heart careens towards the skies above the mountain that held her precious Peashy's attackers.

* * *

All mercy is out the window; all reservations dissolved into fury. Iris Heart, with all the power she can focus, readies her ultimate move. Ominous clouds cover the skies. Magenta lightning streak the heavens. Weaved from all the ire she contains is the ball of lightning that would smite the mongrels responsible for Peashy's suffering. However, the base power of this ability isn't enough. _"What they did to Peashy won't even come close,"_ Iris Heart thought as she focuses harder. She channels even more energy into the ball of lightning, so much that her Processor Set's circuits are glowing red from the immense energy coursing through her. The sting from her overheating Processor Set would not compare to Peashy's pain. The drain she's feeling wouldn't matter when these insolent bastards were in ashes. One kick is all it will take; one blast is all it will be. As she raises her foot, Iris Heart cries out the final words of her enemies' demise…

[Thunder Blade Kick .exe]

One kick filled with all the hate in the world sends the ball of lightning weaved with all the contempt in the world towards the bitches for all the pain Peashy went through!

Like a punch from the gods, the ball of lightning blasts the entire mountain, engulfing it within a massive sphere of electrical fury. Everything within the radius is instantly incinerated, every monster not even having time to turn into data fragments. Expanding even more, the electrical sphere digs deep into the mountain, carving out a spherical depression onto the mountain. Even the area beyond the sphere isn't spared as, due to the power Iris Heart infused the ball, a magnetic field is pulling everything around towards it! Run or hide, not hair nor data is left unturned by the power unleashed by the fury of Iris Heart.

As Iris Heart hovered over the destruction she's caused, she begins the follow up of her EXE Drive, the nail to the coffin or, in this case, the thunder to the lightning. Usually, she would blow a kiss of death to her foe after frying it/them, a supposed cherry on the top for her 'services.'

But this situation warrants no special service. Recalling what these monsters have done to Peashy, Iris Heart retracts her would-be 'flying kiss' and, instead, raises her fingers to the skies. Just then, lightning streaks the storm clouds as Iris Heart's will commands the heavens to prepare its worst. As the clouds above her charge up, Iris Heart takes one last, spiteful glare at the land below her, eyeing every single viral monster still alive from the initial strike. Every fiber of her being still sensing stragglers struggling beneath thanks to her power over lightning which allows her to sense electromagnetic pulses from living beings.

" _You should've killed yourselves,"_ Iris Heart thought before swinging her raised arm loathingly.

By her command, several beams of charged plasma rain down onto the supposed location of every viral monster within the vicinity. Each blast felt like a load of stress off Iris Heart's conscience, the thought of her foes burning and screaming in pain eased the anger still boiling within her. Though she is still far from satisfied, this would have to suffice as she might cause collateral damage from her rampage. Iris Heart calms herself, clearing thoughts of hate as she descends back down to where Peashy and the rest are. Perhaps the news of those viral monsters being punished would give them relief?

* * *

With the Eject Button not working, IF and Sparkster continues to nurse Peashy, the former still using Green Nova and the latter giving IF SP Chargers and Peashy Real Angel Wings. So far, the bleeding has stopped but the gaping wound is still open. IF and Sparkster remain uneasy both with Peashy's current status and because of the reason the Eject Button isn't working…

"ERROR: COMBAT IN PROGRESS. PLEASE ENSURE NO MONSTERS ARE HOSTILE WITHIN 500 METERS OF CURRENT LOCATION."

Looking around vigilantly, Sparkster tries to scan the area of any straggling monster still out to get them. He even checks the Platinum Slime splattered all around them, doubtful that the slime is really dead. Meanwhile, he supports IF and Peashy as much as he can while keeping a steady gaze around them. Once Iris Heart returns, they would be able to hunt the straggler down.

Speak of the devil, Iris Heart has just returned. Her smoking Processor Unit is very concerning, though, and that doesn't go unnoticed by the loyal opossum knight. Rushing close to his Lady, Sparkster could swear Lady Iris Heart's Processor Set is cracking in certain places. And that's not even commenting on Iris Heart's clearly exhausted breathing and heaving. Rummaging through his virtual inventory, Sparkster picks up a Super Panacea, raises it into the air, and activates the area-of-effect healing item in an effort to heal them all and alleviate any of Iris Heart's status ailments, to which Iris Heart gives the opossum a pet on the helmet.

"Why are you not leaving yet?" Iris Heart asks, "you have Eject Buttons with you, right?"

"It seems there's still a hostile straggler nearby, Milady," Sparkster says as he carefully observes his Lady. The last thing he wants is to agitate her once again.

Indeed, Iris Heart's demeanor quickly drops. However, as if on cue, a phone ring cuts through the tension. Looking around, Sparkster identifies the source to be IF's.

"An emergency?" IF says as she keeps up the Green Nova on Peashy, "loudspeaker, please," IF adds. She motions for Sparkster to answer the call to which the opossum does so.

Taking it from IF's holster, Sparkster puts the phone on loudspeaker and the phone immediately comes to life from the frantic voice of a female teen.

"Agent IF, please report! A massive landmass just appeared out of nowhere in the middle of Gamindustri! All agents are required to report back to HQ ASAP!"

"What?!" IF, surprised, almost lost focus when she heard about the order, "sorry, but I'm currently engaged in a really big mess right now. I have a kid badly wounded after a horde of viral monsters attacked us!"

"Viral monsters?! You encountered one of them?!" The person on the other line could probably jumped to their end from her surprise.

" _One of them?"_ All three of them thought.

"Agent IF, there are a whole bunch of other viral monster hordes wreaking havoc all over Gamindustri as of this moment," she says, "its suspected to be connected to that mysterious landmass rising from the sea and we need all hands available to investigate on that matter. Lastation was just hit but Lady Black Heart is managing. If you can ascertain the safety of that child, please hurry. This situation is getting out of control. Otome, out."

And she hangs up. Sparkster looks to IF who is clearly torn from this recent development. All of them are shocked but they have to deal with Peashy right now. He was about to tell IF to leave Peashy to them when…

"I found you!" Iris Heart proclaims, retrieving her chain sword just by willing the weapon to fly to her, and casting another of her skills at the monster she seems to have sensed, "Fighting Viper!"

Just then, Iris Heart's electrified chain sword extends towards a rubble, its electric hiss making it feel like a snake springing towards its prey. Upon hitting the area with the chain sword's tip, something gets itself stabbed by the chain sword's end. Seeing as her chain sword has snagged its prey, Iris Heart violently hauls her catch as something is hurled all the way towards her, catching the unsuspecting critter within her clutches. Iris Heart looks at the thing she has in her hands peculiarly, not making heads or tails as to what creature it is.

It is a lizard-like critter. Its head is hammer-shaped with the eyes located on either ends. Its abdomen is round. Its shoulders are small but its arms are quite long, about the lizard's height when spanned, with the hands sporting three digits each. From how its hind limbs appear, this critter would be bipedal, though it sported a tail that looks like it can crawl around. Particularly, its body is cracked like the viral monsters revealing its red interior. Finally, the little thing is colored dark purple, much like how the miasma from the viral monsters.

From how it looks, it's obvious that this monster is a viral one and most likely to be the hostile monster the Eject Button was referring to. And as if to acknowledge that, the little thing flails around the CPUs hand rather revoltingly. Its tiny growls seem to excite the dominatrix holding it in its grasp.

With that knowledge, Iris Heart musters up a bit of her power and electrifies the little thing. After a while, she crushes its round abdomen, spraying some kind of dark purple fluid around her. Iris Heart then hurls the little lizard away dismissively to turn her attention back at Sparkster and IF…

"Iffy, dear, leave Peashy… to… us…?" As Iris Heart turns around, she suddenly fumbles about, her floating Processor pieces finally giving in to their wear and cracking into pieces before turning into data fragments. Iris Heart then descends back down on the ground, finding it hard to stand on her two feet.

"Lady Plutia!"

"Lady Iris Heart!"

Sparkster rushes to support his Lady as IF couldn't let go of an incapacitated Peashy. But as the opossum decides to act as Iris Heart's crutch, the CPU gently pushes him away, giving him a serious, albeit exhausted, look. Checking with his HUD scanner, Sparkster sees Iris Heart afflicted by a status ailment: Virus.

"Impossible! Lady Iris Heart, aren't you immune to Virus?!" Sparkster points out as he recalls his Lady's innate ability, Null Virus.

"Which is… why," Iris Heart struggles to complete her statement or, rather, command. Little by little, her HDD is beginning to deteriorate. It is apparent that she is taking her all just to stay as Iris Heart. This next statement is definitely important as what the loyal opossum believes.

"I need you to go to that landmass," Iris Heart heaves a big one, "and catch something like that that you saw me kill a moment ago… This situation… isn't just… any other… Please, help Iffy investigate… Grab as many Monster Balls… Heck, even Master Balls if you have to. You have the backing of my authority to use as much Share Energy for your thrusters and credits to acquire as much resources," Iris Heart continues as she quickly says all that in one go. As painful as it is to watch his Lady struggling in pain like this, Sparkster decides to listen to what his CPU has to order him. And after one deep breath…

"By my command as Iris Heart, you, Rocket Knight Sparkster, is tasked with a top priority mission to go and investigate the aforementioned landmass and to retrieve an inhabitant that is clearly rooted as the cause of this horde attack. Now… Go…" And Iris Heart regresses back into Plutia, dropping onto Sparkster unconscious.

With that finally out, Sparkster looks to IF who is now holding an Eject Button, ready to dramatically press it.

* * *

"And they got back with Peashy and Plutia in a very bad state while Sparkster left right after buying ALL the available Monster Balls and taking a Sharicite," Histoire explains, "that incident is also the reason Planeptune experienced a nationwide black out and temporarily lost all its Shares. (￣ ￣|||)"

"I overdid it…" Plutia says as she looks back at what happened back then.

"Damn right, you did," Noire comments harshly, "using 10% of global Shares to overcharge yourself is suicide! I know it was for Peashy's sake but…" As Noire continues, she sees the sunken expression on Plutia's face, quickly turning her frustration into sympathy. At that sight, Noire sighs and calms herself, "please, Plutia, don't hurt yourself doing it…"

"Even though your actions put you through three days of coma and three more days in a vegetative state, the fact still remains you caused a great deal of trouble for all of Planeptune," Histoire adds, "I mean, have you even seen the 'peace offerings' the population dumped into the Basilicom? They thought you got so furious, you unleashed hell… (ノ_。)"

"I'm sorry…" Plutia bows in shame.

"However, I am glad that you aren't gravely hurt," Histiore comments so as not to be too harsh, "and your action did give us something to work with. (；ω； )ヾ(´∀｀* )"

"True," Vert comments, "we would be at an impasse had Plutia not encountered that peculiar lizard."

"So I'm guessing we'll be dissecting whatever Sparkster will be bringing home?" Blanc queries.

"But, judging from what Plutia encountered, wouldn't it be dangerous for anyone to be exposed to that thing's innards?" Noire says.

"Not to worry, I'll ask the Hyperdimension's Histoire if their side could lend us a hand," Histoire suggests, "I just recently learned that the Hyperdimension is also plagued by viral hordes, though theirs is much more manageable than ours. Their technology is sure to possess the necessary precautionary capabilities to search on the creature's anatomy."

"That's good to hear. Well then, I guess with what has been said so far, it's time to finalize this summit's agreed upon goals," Noire suggests to which everyone agrees.

"First, Planeptune, with the aid of the Hyperdimension, will handle the research of the virus. And judging from Plutia's idea, we're expecting-,"

However, just as Noire is about to continue, Plutia suddenly transform into her HDD, much to the fright of those in the room.

"A reverse engineered virus that will be infused into the core of the landmass as the 'kill gene' that will command all virus to die off when it spreads and assimilates just like the original one," Iris Heart interrupts.

"Plutia?!" Noire is the first to jump off the sofa, over, and behind it.

Vert and Blanc almost did the same when they realize something off about Iris Heart. Unlike what they know of her, her Processor Set isn't the Plutia Processor Set but her Blank Processor Set – the one that looks like her Omegadrive which sported the straight-jacket leotard minus the other processor pieces. As they calm down, they then remember what had happened to her Plutia Processor Set during the viral horde encounter. But her Processor Set isn't the only peculiarity in Iris Heart currently.

For some reason, there is an absence of her usual malicious intent…

"I guess I can finally access HDD," Iris Heart comments, "that's great. It would've been difficult to say what I needed to say in my human form, especially with my tattered state…"

Just looking at how Iris Heart is well-behaved on her seat, complete with the proper manner of sitting, is unusually discomforting for everyone. This isn't the Iris Heart they know. Her state is really bad right now to be like what she is showing.

"Hold on. From what you're saying, are you sure it's safe to access HDD?" Blanc asks concerned. At this time, Noire is back on her seat.

"I'll need to exercise to rehabilitate myself after all," Iris Heart replies, "in any case, please continue. I still have other important things to say and I don't think I can last any longer in this form. I don't think I can transform again after this, either."

With that, Noire immediately resumes, though she still worries about her friend especially when she looks at a behaved Iris Heart.

"Anyway, as I was saying," Noire clears her throat, "second, as Leanbox is currently the safest amongst all the other nations AND the one with the strongest military…"

"We'll be providing everyone with military support. I'll also be signing a defensive pact with all of you to allow Leanbox forces to enter and safeguard our nations," Vert continues, "we can spare a few battalions or so with our natural protection."

"Third, Lastation will be mass producing Sharicites for emergency usage. Our Share reserves can warrant us to provide everyone with the necessary Shares, especially Planeptune, while we transition towards the new Share System – one where all Shares can be distributed through all nations which will allow all nations to reach 100% Share levels. I'll be coordinating with Lowee and Histoire on how we'll reconfigure the National Sharicites into achieving that system."

"Which is why," Blanc then looks to Vert. The two were known to be very hostile with each other particularly on a certain topic. However, contrary to how their conversation went…

"I understand. Leanbox will focus improving Lowee's defenses for the time being," Vert, realizing the context of Blanc's stare, replies with the mature, understanding smile she's known for.

"Thanks, Vert," Blanc says, just this once, putting a smile on her usually uninterested expression.

Vert simply responds with a warm smile.

"Okay, if that's all, Plutia? You wanted to say something?" Noire gestures for Iris Heart who is visibly sweating a bit.

"Right," Iris Heart sighs a bit before continuing, "this is in regards to the actions the viral monsters have been showing. I'm aware that all of you know of their apparent intelligence."

Iris Heart waits for a confirmation from the three to which all of them nod, prompting the CPU to continue.

"One warning I need to share with you, and this is very, very important, is something I need all of you to promise me," Iris Heart says as the others nod once again, "the viral monsters seem to be after us AND the Characters, particularly in eliminating us CPUs."

Blanc then recalls the behavior she experienced during the Lowee attacks. If what Iris Heart said is true, then it would explain why, each time she and Samus would arrive at a viral horde attack, every single viral monster would swarm around them. So what does that mean for the attacks that has been happening?

"So, please, be careful. All of you," and Iris Heart says one of the most uncharacteristic lines she has ever said. Everyone in the room knew the magnitude of how much she meant those words. Thankfully, they have heard of the encounter that transpired a week prior that lead to Plutia in her current state and Peashy stuck to a bunch of life support mechanisms in Planeptune's best hospital else they would have questioned if this Iris Heart before them was an impostor. By the by, they would have to thank Compa for convincing that hospital to accommodate Peashy free of charge.

"All right, we'll take note of that," Noire reassures before standing up prompting the others to follow suit, "we'll be taking our leave now. Take care and call us when you need any help."

"I'll send you more fresh tangerines if it makes you feel any better," Blanc adds.

"And I can recommend you with some games to pass time if ever you feel bored while you recover," Vert adds, "and give Peashy our regards as well."

"Yeah, I don't think we'll be able to visit Plaeptune again…" Noire comments.

"Thank you and I'll be sure to let Peashy know," Iris Heart replies.

And the trio bids the Planeptune CPU farewell.

Soon after, Iris Heart fumbles over, prompting Histoire to rush by her side.

"Are you alright? You should undo your HDD," Histoire says.

"Is everything alright?" Sparkster speaks after a long period of silence, "I've just passed Planeptune's borders and will be there in about an hour."

"That's good, Sparkster," Iris Heart responds, "the moment you arrive… I want you and Histy to communicate with Neppy and Big Histy… about what.. you found…" And Iris Heart begins to regress back into Plutia.

"Plutia…" Histoire, though she went through hell managing Planeptune after the incident, she couldn't bring herself to blame Plutia. Not with what she has contributed and went through.

"I guess… this time… won't be one where… we can just do things… as we please…" And Iris Heart completely reverts back into Plutia, passing out onto the sofa she is sitting on.

With that line, Histoire and Sparkster are reminded of just how vulnerable they really are.

* * *

[Mysterious Floating Landmass, Ultradimension – five hours after the CPU Summit]

Rolling through the desolate lands of the floating landmass is the azure mechanical beast. In his person is a particularly large katana which he was tasked of retrieving from a sealed keep in Lowee. The attack that he staged has proven helpful in distracting the CPU and Lowee Mascot Character. Now that this legendary katana is in his possessions, he proceeds to the inner depths of the landmass for a special awakening that is about to happen. He can no longer hold the excitement he is feeling from what is to result from the fruits of his recent endeavors.

Stopping at a point where the smog or, rather, virus is the thickest, the azure beast takes the large katana, unsheathes it, and drives the sword into the earth with his metal claws.

Just as he did, miasma began channeling through the sword, enveloping it with the malignant powers of the virus dominant in the landmass's atmosphere. As the miasma infused the katana, pulses of energy, signs of something awakening, reverberated throughout the desolate planes. Every crystalline protrusion shook for every heartbeat. Meanwhile, a humanoid figure starts to form from above the katana. From it erupted tiny sparks that indicate the power of this non-corporeal entity.

Then without warning, a dimensional rift starts to crack above the sword, a voice from over there announces…

"Who is it foolish enough to free me, Hiro Miyamoto?" the voice which proclaims himself to be a man called Hiro Miyamoto says, "and to have taken the Daikatana, no less!"

Instead of being intimidated, the azure beast grins. Hearing the name Hiro Miyamoto ascertains him as the one he has been searching for in Lowee. With his excitement no longer containable, the azure beast replies to the man's question…

"I am the fool who will free us from our shackles," he says grinding his buzz saw, "a robot bent on freedom:"

Sonic Edgehog.


	3. To Find a Cure

[Dead Island, Lastation, Hyperdimension, 20XX – Day after Ultradimension CPU Summit]

It is the peak of the noon sun. Nothing but a few feathers of cirrus clouds streak the open, blue skies as sunshine basks the landscape in a bright palette. Calm waves and gentle sea breeze brush gently about the white sand beaches of a remote island just between the border of Lastation and Leanbox, the rhythmic sounds giving the serene locale its tropical ambience. Coconut trees rock as their large leaves rustle amid the hot, humid atmosphere. Crabs walk sideways, back and forth, before the coming and receding waters. Seagulls caw high above the glistening sea.

Over the horizon, however, are the careening thrusters of a squadron not necessarily out on vacation and beach fanservice.

Meters above the waters is the black squadron of heavily armed, flying robots marked by the 'LS' insignia of the mighty Lastation Armored Core Battalion. Numbering at eleven, these robots steadily fly in a V-formation as they approach the island. All arms mounted onto their arms, shoulders, and other subtle parts giving off a menacing glint under the hot sunlight, each one ready to engage in case of a surprise attack. The occasional mechanical whirring from mounted turrets scanning their respective owner's vicinity is the only indication that these flying bipeds are wary of their surroundings.

Just beneath the flying weapons of mass destruction are the typical amphibious transport vessels numbering at around twenty. They, despite their black coloring, are aligned to the militaristic Leanbox as shown by the traces of green around their armor and the 'X' insignia shaped by crossed spears at their fore. Each one would be big enough to fit one of the Armored Cores flying just above them which also happens to be muting the rapid whirling sounds of their twin turbines pushing them forward.

Inside these transport vessels are some of the finest soldiers of Leanbox. Heavily armed (and mostly physically built) soldiers known for their extremely bulky weapons armed with chainsaws as bayonets, they were currently briefing in on the mission given to them, albeit as a refresher on what they are to do.

"Our mission for today is a simple cleanup of viral monster supposedly gathered in this island," a man with a bonnet says, his hand gesturing to the monitor that is docked onto the wall separating the vessel's cockpit from the loading compartment before them as he sat on one side, "these monsters have been wreaking havoc on civilian and commercial vessels traveling nearby."

The man speaking, as what his dog tag says, goes by the name of Marcus Fenix. Delta Team Sergeant and legendary hero known for his exploits against invaders and their civil war. Now with the viral hordes wreaking havoc, he and his fellow comrades unwittingly find themselves enlisted to serve directly under the banner of Leanbox. Though not what he initially intended, albeit shunning the idea at first, at the very least, he knows that they would truly be fighting for something worth their principles: peace for Gamindustri.

It all feels familiar wearing the bulky COG armor and his other side arms, though it sure is a completely new (and convenient) feeling of having to be able to stow away all his arms into a virtual inventory like those video games he and his friends managed to play on their offs. And yet, it all feels alien at the same time. Just doing this briefing in front of his (once again) comrades-in-arms is giving him the tug of irony that seems unbelievable. But knowing he would be going to the front lines once more, he sets it aside. Right now, he has a mission to do; duty to call.

"You hear those flying robots above us?" Marcus thumbs up, referring to the Armored Cores, "we'll be teaming up with Lastation personnel as a coalition. They'll be lending a hand with their ACs while we conduct the mission."

"You mean those Lastation pipsqueaks are out to brag their shiny toys," a blonde man says, "wait till we show 'em OUR Armored Cores," the man boastfully references Leanbox's recent acquisition of the rights at manufacturing ACs from one of two corporations in control of Armored Core production.

"Baird, we're here to cooperate; not to humiliate," Marcus responds with a stern look telling the blonde man to keep his opinions to himself. The latter responds with a smug tongue click as he crosses his arms.

"He's right," a blonde woman then follows, "we're fighting against INTELLIGENT monsters that are practically on STEROIDS. Don't do or SAY anything stupid that might get us in bad air. The last thing we want to happen is to let our enemies have better chemistry," and she eyes her fellow blonde with rather piercing eyes to add emphasis.

"Whoo. Yey. Friendship. So, are we gonna run towards the sunset with 'em? Sure, whatever," Baird replies with an indifferent expression, patting his laps with his hands. The black man next to him then whistles at the scolding the blonde went through.

The blonde woman then smiles to Marcus to which the latter is grateful for the help and takes it as the go ahead to resume the briefing.

After a few minutes give or take, the first amphibious vessels touch down on the white beaches, the floats of the transports shoving some sand in the process. At the same time, the Armored Cores touch down around the landing site, immediately moving into perimeter defense the moment their robot soles land on the earth. Switching from their thrusters to their mechanical legs so as to save energy, the Armored Cores systematically scan the area for any hostiles while the Gears unload from their transports, their hulking presence easily towering the coconut trees littered around them. From their height alone, the pilots could easily see high above the forest's tree tops that they eventually will have to tread.

With the first detachment of Gears deployed, Marcus looks around, taking in the salty air to loosen up on his first sortie in a long, long while, and readies to give the command for his detachment to move out until a soldier calls out to him.

"Sergeant Fenix!" The man clad in black and yellow gear shouts, running towards the large man with an equally large Lancer Rifle – the aforementioned weapon with a chainsaw for a bayonet.

Marcus looks to the soldier and notices the 'LS' insignia on his chest plate. He shoulders his bulky weapon and salutes the smaller soldier before him, "you must be from the advance team sent to scout the area," he then lowers his saluting arm.

"Yessir!" The soldier replies loudly, "we've already setup a forward base for the cleanup," he gestures with a thumb over to his back which points to a narrow path that would fit an APC, "if you would follow me, sir!"

What caught Marcus's attention, though, was this soldier's rather loud and impatient mannerisms. He could certainly feel how stiff and rough he was when he pointed the direction. Probably something about his larger size that tensed him up? Shoving it aside, he looks to the rest of the coalition behind him and motions for the ones ready to move out and the rest to follow. Soon after, four of the eleven Armored Cores advance into the forest with loud metal crashing through the shrubs and trunks.

* * *

[Lastation Dead Island Outpost, Lastation, Hyperdimension, 20XX]

Some good minutes of tumbling trees and broken rocks of trekking later and Marcus gets a good look at the modestly erected camp. There in the camp is a deployed mobile outpost with its revolving satellite dish, likely where central command is located. Around it are the barracks that are already populated by resting soldiers judging from the people either smoking or chatting about. Why their cigars puffed out yellow smoke is something he decides to shrug off. Adjacent to the residential side is presumably the armory with all the crates carried in and out by power-suit wearing personnel. APCs and mobile artilleries are also parked in one area of the camp just beside the armory. Even then, there was still a large space behind the parking lot, most likely for the Armored Cores that came with them. Finally, unmanned watchtowers stand tall around the camp. Without even having to squint, the sergeant recognizes them to be equipped with laser-guided railguns. All-purpose variant from what the base of the turret being a ball joint.

 _"From CPU to its people, Lastation is really a nation for OCDs,"_ he nods at the thought, briefly commenting on the rather orderly deployed camp. Marcus proceeds into the camp, passing by the fences surrounding its perimeter.

"Hell, if it were Leanbox, we'd have made a fucking fortress," a black man following Marcus says, "MCVs for the win! YIEEH!"

"Pipe. Down. Cole," Marcus replies with a stern tone matching his deadpan stare at his companion.

Cole just simply shrugs his shoulders feigning innocence before proceeding further into the camp.

Moments later, the rest of the coalition arrives. With the troops assembled, Marcus calls out to all of the assigned leaders of each detachment of Gears as well as the Armored Core Battalion captain. Inside the outpost, they are saluted by two commanding Lastation officers before gesturing them to a table with the 3D virtual map of the whole island. Particularly Baird, the Gears had to keep themselves from groaning with how the officers' countenance, notably the well decorated and well combed male lieutenant, badly reminds them of some 'people in power' they knew that is now collapsed. Even the AC Captain cringes subtly at the sight. Somehow, everyone that went in was in the same wavelength in regards to people in the 'higher-ups'.

 _"The jet-black chick beside him ain't half bad, though,"_ the Armored Core Captain thought as he subtly eyes the corporal from top to crotch… Since that's the point the table lets him see. It's a good excuse, though, _"nice hips and rack, too,"_ he thought as he nonchalantly wipes his face with his hand down to his goatee as he darts his gaze around to avoid suspicion of sexual observance.

Regardless, they keep it to themselves and allow the people before them to start.

"As of now, the viral monsters are holed up inside a subterranean tunnel network that is connected to the sea around us," the Lastationese lieutenant says pointing to the island's center that is now temporarily revealing a vast underground tunnel network, "according to our geological scanners, this part here is a cave big enough to house a large group of fully grown Megadragons while the cave systems are wide enough to handle the likes of Blue Whales."

"And they're all viral," Marcus comments while he studies the map. He gets a quick 'affirmative' from the lieutenant to which he sighs deeply, _"this is gonna be a load of shit."_

"But this makes things easier," the corporal beside the lieutenant says as she swipes the map to switch into a 3D view of some kind of cylindrical device which the rest of the Gears, the Armored Core pilot included, identifies as a bomb, "this here is a bomb developed specifically made to cause caves to implode. Its huge but our Armored Cores should be able to saddle this onto their backs, carry it through the tunnels which happen to be large enough for the ACs to fly in, and set it up for detonation."

"Alright, so we'll be mopping the floor while escorting the payload," a blonde woman says.

"Lieutenant Stroud, I presume," the blonde nods to the Lastationese lieutenant, "don't worry, we'll have our ACs accompany you in there."

"Sweet," Baird perks up, "at least there won't be shit this time and we get to see some bots in action. Hey," he calls out to the AC Captain, "if ever one of your ACs gets totaled, mind if I keep the parts? Oh, but you can keep the idiot inside."

His comment then pulls awkward looks towards him, though his blonde lieutenant is quite disturbed and irritated instead.

Marcus gives a loud cough which directs all attention to him, thankfully, "anyway, when'll we move out?" He asks the lieutenant.

"Whenever your forces are ready," the lieutenant replies.

Marcus then cracks his knuckles as he starts moving outside, "then that means now."

"But before you head out," the lieutenant calls out which prompts the Gears and the AC Captain to halt. The lieutenant then waves his hand over the 3D visual to display a helmet that Marcus recognizes as the same one the soldier he met earlier had, "we'd like for you to wear this helmet designed to filter out the virus. As for the ACs, our engineers will be adding virus filters onto the cockpits though we'd still advise for your squadron to wear one. Just in case."

"And why the fu-," Baird tries to mouth off but, thankfully, Anya manages to shove his mouth aside with a glare to his face.

"We appreciate it, lieutenant, but I think our own headgear should be able to do the job," Marcus speaks up.

"Unfortunately, the virus is shown to have the capability to bypass standard filtering devices," the corporal chimes in, "surely, you've been informed about the Ultradimension Planeptune CPU getting afflicted by the virus."

Just then, Marcus recalls about the report that was given to them when they were asked to return to their duties as Gears. That and a very worried and serious Vert asking them if they could lend, not only Leanbox, but all of Gamindustri a hand.

"Thankfully, the research team in Planeptune have been given a viral specimen from the Ultradimension that let us develop a filtering system that should provide protection under heavy concentrations of the virus," the corporal adds.

"I see," Anya gives it a thought and nods to the Lastationese corporal before they depart to which the two sides give their salutes. As Anya pulls the door behind her to the point that only a small centimeters of gap was left, however, she momentarily spots the lieutenant and corporal letting off a heavy breath they seem to have been holding, even slouching onto the table and wiping their foreheads, _"Baird's comment did a number on them, I assume,"_ she pinches her nose's bridge at the thought as she closes the door, quietly.

After they've walked some distance from the outpost and the AC Captain has run off to his squadron, Baird lets out the pent up displeasure he's been holding.

"Why the fuck are we even agreeing to wearing their smelly excuse for dildos?" Baird fumes, "I could make a better variation with a better paint job. Give me a fresh sample of the virus and I'll even serve the damn thing on a silver platter!"

"Shut it, Baird," Marcus sternly replies, "Lastation and Planeptune are the ones conducting R n' D on the virus's vaccine or whatever. They have a job they need to do and so do we."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Baird waves dismissively, "downing some infected crap. Shit. I guess it's a good thing the virus only gets you in high, pure concentrations or else we'd all be fucking Slade rip-offs."

Just behind them, Cole, who just met back up with them, tugs at Anya while keeping a curious stare at Baird, "what's his problem?" The latter only moves along leaving behind Cole hanging.

* * *

[Subterranean Tunnel Entrance, Lastation, Hyperdimension, 20XX]

"Oh, this is the problem," Cole knocks the black and yellow helmet that was plopped onto his head a moment ago, albeit begrudgingly from his side, "yo, I'm not even likin' this here's color scheme. Fuckin' thing's just askin' a nigga to give this shit a rap."

Marcus simply continues towards the entrance before them. Though uncomfortable, the helmet is still functional. The yellow HUD scheme manages to contrast well with the tunnel's presumably dark interior. Looking back to his crew through the lenses of the helmet, the Gears are all ready to go in with their Lancers, Gnasher Shotguns, and a few armed with Longshots.

But the Armored Cores with them aren't and Baird looks like he's about to tinker the nearest AC with how he's revving the chainsaw on his Lancer while keeping a steady gaze on one of them.

From the HUD's time, it's been a good ten minutes and the AC carrying the bomb is still not here. Marcus himself is getting impatient as well. Surely, Lastationese people are better than this.

"Anya, can you contact the outpost and ask them what's taking so long?" Marcus moves over to Anya, "any longer and we'll be rusting underneath these helmets," he then gestures to Baird, "and I don't like how Baird's just mentally molesting those ACs."

"I've been trying," Anya replies with an N-Gear on her hands, "there's been no reply."

 _"This is bullshit,"_ Marcus thought, "Anya, take over while I'm gone."

Deciding that nothing's going to happen if they wait any longer, Marcus briskly walks towards the outpost after leaving Anya to handle the Gears. Just then, one of the ACs lean over to him.

"Sergeant, any luck on your end?" The AC Captain asks from within his mech.

"I'm about to by the time I give them a piece of my mind!" Marcus shouts as he continues forward…

… until his helmet tightens around his neck.

Suddenly and simultaneously, the helmets the Gears are wearing and the ACs' cockpits burst out a yellow gas inside. All at once, the Gears and the AC pilots flail around in an attempt to either remove their helmets or eject from their cockpits but to no avail. The more they are exposed to the mysterious yellow gas, the more their consciousness slips away.

"The fuck is this?!" Marcus staggers around blind as the gas quickly fills his helmet.

"MARCUS!" Came in Anya's panicked voice amid the others in the background.

"Anya!" Marcus frantically searches for her. After a few swings of his arm and paces from his fumbling steps, he grabs something that is likely the trunk of a tree and, out of instinct, begins to violently slam his head onto it in hopes of bashing the helmet loose. All the while, his fingers are struggling to get a good grip on the helmet's jaw area, his nails are practically scratching his neck by this time. Unfortunately, the helmet's lock is designed to cause the fingers to slip past the base.

Just as he struggles, loud crashes rocked the area, indicating that the Armored Core pilots have succumbed. One of the crashes happens to be close by, thereby forcing him to lose his footing after stepping on a boulder until he, too, tumbles down hard.

"Those… dicks… This thing's not a… special…" Somewhere close to him, Marcus could hear Baird's faltering voice. As much as he wants to reach for his comrades, the yellow gas dominating his helmet is not only blocking his vision but also numbing his mind.

"What? Wha waz I? Guys?" Marcus tries speaking as his thinking becomes rocky and unstable, _"crap, what's going on? My head's spinning like crazy…"_

Just then, he hears pebbles getting crushed and grass rustling. Those were footsteps.

Marcus, with all his remaining strength, pushes himself to face the direction of the sounds. The gas in his helmet has somewhat settled though his mind is almost as good as vegetable now. Even then, he still has it in him to actually realize what these bastards looking down on him did to him.

Standing just above him is the lieutenant from earlier. His corporal is just behind him, ordering a squad of Lastation soldiers into extracting the fallen Gears and AC pilots. They were yelling things like, "first haul of the bunch and it's a fucking jackpot," and, "those SPARTANS and CPUs are gonna LOVE getting raped by these babies," and those don't sound so reassuring. The lieutenant stares down at the pathetic, helpless grunt beneath him with a shit-eating, smug grin that is mere inches of reaching his ears.

"You," Marcus speaks, albeit with all his remaining mental vitality, "you fucking… turncoat… What are you…?"

Upon hearing the word 'turncoat', the lieutenant, clearly disgusted by the soldier's statement, stomps his foot onto the soldier's chest, causing Marcus to let out a struggling groan. With the taste of bitterness that has gathered in his mouth, the lieutenant shouts…

"Tell that to those ANIMALS ordering YOU around!"

* * *

[Lastation Basilicom, Lastation, Hyperdimension, 20XX – Following Day]

Exhausted. Ragged. Miserable.

If she ever felt like dying of exhaustion and letting her superior façade fall, it would be in the past four days where she's been on crisis management with the viral hordes appearing all over Lastation. Finally reaching her room, Noire slams the door shut like nobody's care, grunting even as she swung it like so. She drags her tired self along towards the bathroom, throwing the documents regarding the missing Armored Cores, the reports on the virus research, leads on how the virus reached the Hyperdimension, and some other reports that Kei shoved onto her onto her bed that she passed by.

 _"I need those done,"_ her throbbing head thought as she begins stripping her fancy, navy-blue buttoned bustier-dress and navy-blue, thigh-high boots, _"but I need a really, really cold shower right now."_

After wiping her forehead which is laced with strands of hair sticking from the sweat, she opts to wash herself whilst thinking about what she just read from those papers. Taking off her strapless, red camisole, she almost felt disgusted by the damp cloth that is saturated with her own sweat from all the flying and working in her HDD. Even her human form's getting the strain normally taken by her HDD form. Moving on, she undoes her twintails, letting her black hair fall behind her struggling-to-be-upright back. Finally, she bares her sweaty, slender body after loosening her white skirt and removing her black socks before stepping into the bathroom, leaving her sweaty clothes behind lying scattered on the floor in her room.

Every step she makes on the cold, navy-blue tiles of her well-organized bathroom eases up the throbbing of her feet's veins. All that's left is for her body to take a well-deserved cooldown before plunging herself back to whatever business she needs to deal with. Passing by the navy-blue marble sink, the tired workaholic perfectionist enters the confines of her spacious shower area.

Noire faces the shower. She sets the temperature to the blue area. After holding her breath, she turns the shiny, metal knob and…

"Ahhhh~~~~~" With one, refreshing sigh, all the stress her body has been putting up goes to steam, literally.

"Wow. My body's this hot, huh?" Noire comments as she looks around the now steam covered shower room, her voice echoing into the usual bathroom voice. Though, she would probably hear Neptune teasing her with that comment.

Dismissing the surprising steam cloud around her (and her unintentional, narcissistic pun), she relaxes her hot, tense body, letting the cold droplets trickle down her smooth, silky, white skin. She strokes her hands over her scalp, closes her eyes, and faces the shower, hoping for more of that cool, sweet, water of youth to flow over her head, down her long hair, around her perfect body, her everything. This is the kind of pounding she would die for – the kind that just washes away all your problems and stress. It even clears her mind, thankfully, as what she's experiencing now and what she's actually heard some time before.

Which brings her back to business now that she's relaxed and cleared.

 _"Rescue missions have all but failed,"_ Noire's thought flicks back on like a switch on a restarting computer and begins processing all that she's known.

After a full day of no response, rescue teams were sent to ascertain the situation of the advance team and coalition forces that were sent to deal with the viral monsters in the sea between Leanbox and Lastation. Unfortunately, they, too, were lost. It's either a very large horde of monsters is just lying beneath the water surface or signal in that area is very bad. Satellites have shown the coalition force to have entered a cave in the island they've set camp. From there, none of them ever left the cave. The camp showed no signs of activity, either. If they were to find clues on what happened to them, they would need even at least a recording of their intercom.

"But we can't even get any those," Noire sighs before setting that matter aside. Hopefully, Vert would find luck on her end. As she squirts shampoo onto her hand, the CPU then moves onto her next issue as she applies that minty, viscous fluid onto her raven hair, turning the knob so as to pause the shower of youth she so gratefully came to love just now.

Two days ago, the Ultradimension sent a specimen of a viral monster never seen before. Scientists both Planeptunian and Lastationese working over in Planeptune have all confirmed that the virus in that creature is the 'base virus.' From how giddy Histoire was when she contacted her for updates, it would seem like they were finally on the verge of a breakthrough. It's been two days and she's been given the results.

"And I got my hopes up, too," once again, she sighs her expectations away.

After seeing the words 'unfortunately' in the document she read a while ago, all her hopes of finally seeing all this mess come to an end quickly drained like how her smile turned to a frown in a heartbeat. With the information she's read, the virus would be best described as, "rapidly evolving, single-celled virus that freely assimilates any foreign agent into itself and still function as if nothing happened that can also rapidly multiply base on what mutation it has gone." Setting aside the technicalities because she is trying to relax underneath a cold shower, the virus in that monster is too complex and simple, at the same time, for them to create even an effective vaccine for it, let alone a reverse engineered version that Plutia apparently thought up.

 _"I guess Plutia isn't half bad when she needs to,"_ and Noire rinses her hair under the shower before going for the soap and turning the knob again. Supposedly, the soap is a newly created 'anti-virus' soap that can shield you off from the virus.

"At least the capitalists are getting a kick out of it," she scoffs at the idea a little before cleansing herself with the so-called 'anti-virus.'

As she rubs and massages herself with the soap, however, her thoughts stumble upon the situation all over Gamindustri now that she recalls the ads about the soap she's using.

Null All Ailments is now in effect across Gamindustri – a special protective program that nullifies ailments through the National Sharicites in each nation emitting a protective wave around a massive radius covering each nation. Each nation has to suffer a constant drop in Shares because of that, however, but the protection makes it worth it. Anti-Virus Patches are also on demand, not to mention Tuffmil and the other ailment recovery items. Despite being expensive, almost everyone's out to grab as many of those as they can.

And yet, viral monsters are still a problem along with some actually getting afflicted by Virus status DESPITE the Null All Ailments and anti-virus ornaments and consumables.

"Then again, if Plutia was afflicted with Virus, what does that make of the protective barrier that was developed around her immunity?" As refreshing as her bath is, Noire can't help but sink with how depressingly difficult their situation is. Not even the aroma of her soap all over her soft body can sooth her out of all the problems.

Once again, Noire sighs dejected.

"No use mulling it over," looking around, the steam finally let up while she was soaping herself. Her body temperature is even down to normal thanks to the cold shower, "but, really, why can't life be easy?"

Pitiful as it is, she hasn't the luxury to be picky with all the viral monsters ruining her nation and Gamindustri. Hopefully, someone would just conveniently say 'eureka' and successfully create a magic cleanser or something that nullifies the virus. If that's too much, at least a way to make a mountain-sized Sharicite that could emit the Null All Ailments to cover all of Gamindustri.

"Yeah, as if," Noire then turns the knob to welcome the cold shower that would rinse her body clean.

And on the moment the cold water showers her face, Noire's face lights up as her mind just spark with a realization, so simple, she couldn't believe she did not consider it in those four days. No. Not only her, but everyone else! With water trickling down her face, eyes wide, Noire, in stunned disbelief, utters the one word she thought someone else would conveniently say…

* * *

[Noire's Office, Lastation Basilicom, Lastation, Hyperdimension, 20XX – 30 minutes later…]

To say that Archimedes's most famous moment happening before her eyes be the most preposterous thing in the entirety of her whole being that would absolutely never happen is putting it lightly if it ever happens. Especially when the one person, nay, the one CPU to do it is the ruler of Lastation would be the understatement that would end the world. Quite definitely, with an incredulous and slightly flustered face from what transpired, Kei Jinguji silently sits with arms crossed before her most well REFINED and most RESPECTED CPU who is still dripping from her face's frame and long raven hair. Never has this Oracle ever sat with the most uncomfortable, awkward sensation in her entire life and she did not expect to feel it while being in her natural sitting position.

"So," quite flustered herself and still breathing heavily after running back to her room to dress herself cursorily, Noire breaks the ever tense ice that she just made, all the while keeping her stern, neutral expression even with her ears and face bloodshot from embarrassment that (hopefully) did not destroy her image. Clearing her throat, Noire continues, "Kei, have there been any records, anywhere or any time in Gamindustri, of something relating to successfully creating an artifact or skill that purifies?"

"No," came the flat, indifferent reply from the Oracle, _"her stress levels have gone so bad its actually getting to her head."_

Another few seconds of silence filled with nothing but the clock ticking over an ornately decorated shelf and subtle thuds of the droplets coming from Noire's hair dominates the escalating awkwardness between the two.

Noire blinks a few times, her mouth stuck between a rock and Blanc's imaginary chest, unable to speak nor react to Kei's crushing rejection. Here she is, with what she thought as the brightest idea in those four horrible days, shut down by a person she just made uncomfortable for life and after that. She needs to speak again. All her pride to be in tact after this fiasco depended on it. _"A simple 'why' should suffice. A simple 'why' should suffice, you raven-haired buffoon,"_ Noire internally berates herself as her flinched entirety refuses to even react to what Kei said.

Noire looks like she was about to commit seppuku with how her demeanor looking broken with each passing minute and Kei thought it unwise to leave her like this. _"It's a good thing I was the only one to see all that,"_ Kei then spawns her tablet from her virtual inventory and places it on the table before Noire, whom snaps out from, what Kei assumes to be, her suicidal thoughts. Hopefully, this piece of news would distract her into her workaholic, perfectionist self.

"Are these the ones Blanc mentioned?" Noire asks as she sees the cursive 'L' Lowee insignia from the report's front page, her aura somewhat shifting back into a more professional one.

"Yes," Kei replies, "they managed to collect information of possible items that could prove useful in suppressing the virus. I was reading it," suddenly, Kei pauses and decides to stop there, _"it's better if I don't bring it up. Ever."_

"Hm. Some of these seem unlikely," Noire skims the pages carefully with her sharp eyes which are used to looking up detailed reports and picking the most important parts. As she scrolls the report with her fingertips, she comes across a rather vague information that piques her interest, "land of the undead. Lordran, huh?"

"Treacherous undead lands that is known for its powerful inhabitants. Though, some have ventured into that place, little have come back alive or successful. It may hold some artifacts that could benefit us but, other than that, there's nothing else that is certain," Kei adds then realizes the implications, "I'd advise venturing in that place, Noire. You would likely waste your time given how long people go in and out of there on average."

"But it's the only place that has not been completely explored yet," Noire, a thumb and index finger to her chin, replies while keeping a steady, skimming gaze onto the tablet, "the Guild has scoured the lands for all the items and materials they could find and there still isn't one that could suppress the virus," reaching the end of the report, she hands the tablet back to Kei and looks to her with an unfaltering stare, red eyes still and resolved into what she plans to do, "the research team has already confirmed it to be impossible to make a vaccine out of the base virus. Our best and only option right now is to look for one."

Kei couldn't argue with that, as much as it stinks desperation which sadly reminded her of that time they relied on some old sword to vanquish the Deity of Sin.

"I'll call for someone to party with you then," Kei resigns to her CPU's decision and spawns her phone, picking up a certain contact she has from the Far East Branch. She'd usually opt to call Devil May Cry if not for the pile of skirmishes involving high level Boss Monsters she assigned to the half-demon handyman three days ago, _"her experience in coordinated combat against creatures armed with a mini-gun crossed great sword would suffice."_

While Kei talks to someone briefly over the phone, Noire stands up, motioning to the office's balcony. Her eyes intently gaze upon her proud nation. Looking at the far reaches, she could see the smoke rising from what she assumes to be another viral horde squaring off with the Lastation armed forces. Even the bright afternoon sun can't distract her from her worries. As she seemingly takes in the air, Noire feels up the atmosphere of her land.

It reeks of anxiety, fear.

Right down to the very citizens that usually would be proud and about their business, the uneasiness amongst them is palpable to the Goddess taking in their Shares. Who would not be scared of a virus that cannot be stopped even by trinkets and accessories that used to work on them? Already, the intuitive members of the Lastation populace have begun to doubt the longevity of the supplies of items meant to protect them from the virus. Though the monsters are currently in check thanks to the efforts of their CPUs, Characters, and Guild agents, the question still remains: how long before the virus overwhelms them? The signs are there: people falling ill to the virus who were previously treated, hordes rising in numbers as well as attacks, refugees are beginning to crowd the assigned settlements within the safer confines of the nation. They may have to restrict entry sooner or later in the event the worst happens, something Noire would wish Celestia forbid. But most important of the signs…

"It really is decreasing," came the dejected sigh of the CPU, "why does getting infected by virus have to suppress Shares?"

"It's one of the by-products of getting the host corrupted," Kei pockets her phone and looks to her Goddess who has the look of being unimpressed, "otherwise, getting afflicted by Virus Ailment wouldn't hinder you from HDD."

"I know that. I was just," Noire clicks her tongue out of vexation, "anyway, how's Uni doing? She's sortieing the borders around the Dragon Realms, is she not?"

"She is," Kei then thoughts of the circumstances before picking up her phone once more, "I'll get her back, right away."

"No," Noire immediately replies as she moves towards her desk rather briskly, "it'd be bad for Lastation to be without a CPU at a time like this and," she then opens her desk and takes out her own tablet before moving to where Kei is, "I am plenty confident about my abilities. It's unlike you to worry too much to cloud your better judgment."

Kei feels a little bit of embarrassment from Noire's statement, her eyes twitching in the slightest. Regardless, she thinks about it and pockets her phone before Noire hands her the tablet she picked up from the office desk, "pardon me. It seems my being away for a while and some time with Uni has gotten me all too soft," Kei then opens up the tablet to see a schedule of what to do in the following days in case Noire does not return soon, "I take it that this is for Uni?"

Noire nods and then smiles at the unsuspecting Oracle, "also, I would actually appreciate it if you get along with us a little more casually sometimes. It would help all of us," Noire then gives Kei a gentle pat to the shoulder as she passes by the Oracle towards the balcony, "tell the one you called to meet me at the southern city outskirts."

Kei then pauses, processing the rather warm, friendly remark her Goddess gave her, before nodding with a satisfied grin then picking up her phone once again and contacting the person from earlier to update her rendezvous, "by the way, the person you'll be partying with is…"

* * *

[Southern Lastation City Outskirts, Lastation, Hyperdimension, 20XX – 30 minutes after Noire departed…]

"Alisa Illinichina Amiella," a silver-haired, rather busty, and scantily clad girl sharply salutes the CPU of Lastation.

Noire had just landed at the outskirts of Lastation City. The area where she rendezvoused with still had the industrial infrastructure the metro had, though to a lesser extent. Fields of grass cover most of the area with many being used as farming lands. Noises of tractors could be heard in the background. Occasional vehicles passing through the paved roads, kicking up rubble as they careen past the countryside.

And yet, Noire has something else she's more interested in.

As the girl wielding an enormous sword by her right arm with a large, red bracer stood at attention, Noire took the time to scan this so-called Sniper Private from the Far East Fenrir Branch. Looking from her checkered beret to her black, fingerless glove that extend to her left elbow to the tip of her thigh-high boots, the CPU carefully assessed her rather revealing outfit.

In fact, Noire was already keeping mental notes on her wear.

Provocative top, consisting of a small, half-zipped, black jacket that is accentuating her ample breasts. Even the gentle breeze is subtly lifting it up, exposing what boob connoisseurs would call her 'under-boob.' This provocative top is paired with an equally provocative checkered skirt which, Noire could swear, was short enough to let almost anyone with Rom or Ram's height to sneak a peek and, again, the breeze was keen on helping others peek. Said skirt's suspenders weren't even neatly worn as one lay hanging by the girl's hip.

 _"I should use her outfit as a reference some time,"_ Noire thought with a subtle nod.

The girl who announced herself as Alisa took notice of Noire's rather intensive inspection. And, as if realization struck her, the girl elicits a slight 'ah' and lowers her salute to inform her Lady.

"I apologize for my unprofessional attire," she says, "I forgot that the populace here does not take likely of my way of dressing…"

"A-Ah, no, it's not a problem, really!" Noire snaps out of her cosplay-seeking meditation and clears up the misunderstanding, "in fact, I am liking what you are wearing."

"Oh? Is that so?" Alisa then perks up, her ashamed expression turning one of a hopeful glee, "then, after our sortie, would you care to sample some of my references?" Alisa suggests as she begins muttering a few of the aforementioned references, albeit in some language which Noire presumes to be 'Russian'.

"That would certainly be helpful!"

"Helpful?"

"Uh… F-For when I visit your Branch! Yes, that's it."

"Ah, very well. I hope I can suggest you something you'd like, Lady Noire."

"Thanks," Noire sighs in relief, "also, just Noire is fine."

With the introductions through (and a bullet dodged, Noire thought), the pair immediately heads out for the land of the undead. Prior to their departure, Alisa reminds Noire of their supplies. Just as one would expect from the CPU of Lastation, Noire already had all the necessary recovery items in her inventory. Confirming her Lady's readiness, Alisa then shares her inventory so as to inform Noire of what supplies they could use later on. These include pills, an assortment of personally-crafted bullets and bombs for her so-called God Arc, stun grenades, and traps to anticipate for intense fights and dire situations.

"Alright," Noire then takes a deep breath, "access!"

In an instant, time stops to a halt. As she raises her arms past her head, Noire's surroundings then change to that of an elaborate space filled with rising digital characters. Her ornate attire turns into bits of data as they slowly dissipate, leaving its wearer bare and twin-tails undone. A pair of binary circles form above and below her which then scan through her slender body, covering them with light as it continues all the way until they meet at her midsection, leaving Noire a humanoid lump of light. Upon clashing, the circles explode into a sphere of binaries revealing a bleached-haired (that reverts into twin-tails again) individual with blue eyes. The binaries surrounding her begin colliding onto her, forming her seductive, black two-piece bikini, black gloves to cover arms and thigh-high boots to cover her legs. Majority of the binaries then shape into the rest of the Orbital-S Processor pieces, all themed in black, grey, and blue. Finally, as she opens her blue eyes, the Symbol of Power lights up within them, announcing the arrival of Black Heart.

Black Heart approaches the Russian girl who was taken agape by the individual that appeared before her. The CPU chuckles at what she presumes to be an awestruck expression, "swung that way, yet?"

"Huh?" Alisa snaps back to reality, though she now wears a confused look instead.

"Didn't catch that, huh?" Black Heart shrugs, "anyway, let's get going. You got a problem with heights?"

"No, not at all."

Alisa then switches back to her normal demeanor. She then fixes her God Arc to a comfortable position and wrapping her arms around the CPU, prompting Black Heart to lift her up. Black Heart didn't waste any time in blasting off into the skies.

* * *

[Lastation, Hyperdimension, 20XX – One Hour after Noire's departure…]

"Whew, at least we don't have to deal with Boss Level Monsters…"

Wiping her sweaty forehead, the CPU Candidate of Lastation, Black Sister, flies smoothly above the city skylines of Lastation, donning her rather revealing Generation Processor Set which comprised of nothing but a black two-piece with a provocative bra secured by a large silver ring on her chest. Despite the raunchy attire, as she describes it herself, she's gotten used to it and, in fact, is quite pleased by its offensive specs and heat circulation. She'd be lying if she said she didn't like the other Processor Pieces of the set. Their cyan lining complements its dominant black color.

 _"But it really wouldn't hurt for that Black Disc to have given me a less revealing Processor Set,"_ Black Sister sighs, recalling the events when they fought and vanquished CFW Brave during the ASIC crisis.

After a few more minutes of smooth sailing, Black Sister finally lands on the Basilicom balcony situated like an elevated platform made for speeches overlooking the open court below. As she touches down, her body illuminates with a bright matrix of numbers pixelating her back into her human form, Uni. Finally, in a more presentable attire – which is a black dress that only reaches down the middle of her thigh like a short skirt would paired with a pair of black shoes, knee high socks, and a pair of black arm warmers – Uni relaxes as she walks in, readying her report recorded onto her handheld LSP VITA (Lastation Portable VITA) as she expects her sister or Kei.

The room is vacant. Nothing but the ticking of the ornate clock on the faraway shelf could be heard.

Leaving the imposing office, Uni heads out to where Kei usually is. Upon exiting the Basilicom's CPU Residence, Basilicom staff greet her as usual, albeit in a stiff rush to get to where they need to be minutes ago. Picking up her pace out of the hectic atmosphere the Basilicom is now having, Uni moves through the bullet-hell like staff moving about, casually avoiding the other staff so as not to trip their documents all over the place. When she finally sees the silver-head tomboy talking to another Basilicom staff member, Uni hastens as she readies her VITA, halts when she was close, and waits for Kei to finish.

"I see," Kei reacts on the report given by the girl before her, "reassign some workforce to the 'project.' We need progress on that more than ever."

"But wouldn't that thin out the other sectors?" She comments.

"It's a priority. As bad as it is, we have to put others over else. Our laborers can't handle everything with all the viral hordes wreaking havoc," Kei then begins typing the adjustments she was referring to onto the file, quickly tapping onto the tablet accurately despite the use of only one hand.

"I see," the girl sighs dejected, "maybe we should advise them to inject themselves with honey…" She murmurs.

The tapping then stops.

The girl checks on her Oracle to find her with an incredulous stare that speaks of no-nonsense. She immediately straightens up from the stare.

"I only heard that joke from the others!" she immediately assured, "for some reason, the others seem to be taking on that joke quite often with how everyone's on edge lately and-!"

Kei gestures for her to stop with a raised hand. When the panicked girl calmed down, Kei hands over the report, "inform HR about the workforce adjustments. Dismissed."

After the girl receives the report back, she salutes her Oracle and briskly walks off to relay the orders.

"Unified Shares Project?" Uni asks gaining the attention of the Oracle, "how's it going?"

"It has slowed down," Kei replies followed by a slight, problematic sigh, "anyway, what news of the borders?"

Uni straightens up, "Dragon Realms are still clear. No viral infections as of yet and we managed to clear out a rather large horde approaching one of the towns but…" Uni trails off; her face shifting to a more defeated look.

Kei already suspected the next words and speaks ahead, "more viral victims, I presume?"

"Body count is approaching two hundred. In just four days, no less," Uni replies.

Kei looks at her clock and starts walking to her office after receiving Uni's report stored in her VITA. As they proceed, Kei reads the details while Uni continues the conversation.

"This isn't like the old Virus we know. People haven't died of infection back then…"

"Until now," Kei sternly puts and walks over to her desk, connecting the VITA to her PC, and downloading the report onto her machine. She would relay those to Noire for her to review upon her return.

"By the way," noticing Noire's absence, Uni decides to ask. As her lips begin stating the word 'where', she halts as Kei immediately chimes in.

"Noire is away to find a cure for the virus. She's currently headed for Lordran."

With the mention of Lordran, Uni perks up out of worry. A slight gasp even escaped from her slightly gaping mouth.

Kei would, again, cut her off, "she has instructed me to have you take over in her absence," Kei then spawns a tablet, the same one Noire handed to her earlier. Like a true professional working in a hectic office, Kei moves in quick paces towards Uni and hands her the tablet, patting it onto Uni's arms which were elevated to her chest when she was about to declare her leave as well.

The Candidate calms her nerves, realizing what this implied, "Lastation can't be without a CPU, is that it?"

Kei nods and exits the office, "I'll be handling the management side of Noire's duties. I'll leave the suppression and PR to you, since those are what your bikini Processor Set is most effective at," and Kei shuts the door before Uni could retaliate with…

"I DIDN'T CHOOSE TO BE THIS SEXUALIZED!"

With all the blood onto her face, Uni stomps the carpet, eliciting a puff of dust around her foot. She wonders begrudgingly about one absolutely annoying fact...

"Why do I always end up with skimpy outfits…"

In any case, she would definitely have a word with that Black Disc some time…

* * *

[Lordran Skies, Lastation, Hyperdimension, 20XX – One hour, fifteen minutes after Noire's departure…]

Soaring above the landscape of Lastation, Black Heart is steadily looking for a place to land. From what she recalls, there should be a safe zone in these undead lands, marked by a bonfire found on a cliff nearby some ruins. It has been fifteen minutes since they left Lastation proper and, to her dismay, the mountains are not doing her any good in spotting that safe zone. Also, it is unusually dark what with the shadows dominating much of the mountainous landscape. Looking up, she notices that the weather is overcast, covering the sun but allowing rays of sunlight to pierce through and shine the place. Hopefully, she doesn't get herself and her passenger lost.

Speaking of passenger, Alisa is taking the flight rather well with how she is constantly shifting her view every now and then. With one hand over her beret and another wrapped around the CPU's neck, her movements were restricted but it is nonetheless enough for her to span the panorama.

Now that Noire considers it, the view isn't so bad. Perhaps her experience with flying all the time has her gotten used to such a magnificent view. After all, it's a different feel when you fly onboard an aircraft than when you fly freely like what she is letting the Russian passenger experience. Seeing as they probably would take a while, Noire opens up a conversation to pleasure herself while she finds that large tree that's supposed to mark their safe zone.

"So, enjoying the view?"

"Yes," Alisa replies cheerfully, "I can't believe I would experience being airborne like this. The view is just… How should I say it?..."

Black Heart giggles. At least, her mission to help the world is doing wonders to someone else while she's at it, "well, take it all in cuz' we'll likely be having a swell time dealing with whatever is waiting for us in these lands."

At that, Alisa quickly steels her demeanor, something Black Heart quickly takes note, "yes, Lady Black Heart! I'll do my best!"

"Hey, hey, don't get too worked up," Black Heart smirks, "don't wanna tire yourself out before the big fights. I'm just telling you to relax. Besides, I'm the one flying here."

"Ah, right," Alisa makes a bashful smile which Black Heart took as her 'sorry about that' look.

"By the way," Alisa spoke up, earning Black Heart's partial attention, "if you mind me asking, what are your clothes made of?"

"Huh?" Now Black Heart is completely giving her full attention, "you mean my Processor Set? Or the attire I was wearing in human form?"

"If by Processor Set, you meant your current ones, then yes."

"Ah, well, its top-secret," Black Heart notices Alisa's slightly disappointed mood and immediately changes her mind, "but I could probably tell you," and Alisa's mood, once again, brightens up, "ONLY if you keep it between us."

"Yes, Lady Black Heart!"

"Also, please call me Noire."

"Yes, Lady Noire!"

Black Heart just sighs. Is it really that difficult to make people she is close with to be not too formal all the time?

"Anyway, Processor Sets are unlike ordinary armor," this elicits a perplexed reaction from Alisa, "I say armor because they're not just simple cloth; Processor Sets are actually composed of metals, legendary monster drops, and Erde Crystals."

"Erde Crystals?"

"Never heard of those? They're a kind of Data Crystal that contains large amounts of data that can be processed into anything with the use of Share energy. It's a necessary, extra rare component in making highly powerful and useful products and equipment like my Processor Set. The basic ones of its kind are called Datanium, followed by File Crystals, and then Erde Crystals," Black Heart carefully explains, "I hope that wasn't too much but I think you got it."

"I see," Alisa puts on her thinking cap, figuratively, as she deeply ponders, "but how does it maintain its flexibility, then?" Alisa then begins tugging Black Heart's bikini strap lightly, causing her C-cup bosom to slightly lift up.

Of course, this elicits a cute yelp from the unsuspecting CPU.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" Alisa immediately stops what she was doing and retracts her tugging hand away from what it was tugging.

"It's fine," Black Heart sighs, "as I was saying, Processor Sets are made of special metals that are effective at both protecting its wearer AND the circuitry built into them," she says as she gives emphasis on the 'and.'

"Circuitry?" Alisa then takes a close look on Black Heart's bra, "I don't see any intricate patterns aside from the obvious aesthetic linings…"

However, oblivious to the Russian girl, Black Heart suddenly takes notice of something rather voluptuously soft her bosom is pressing against. Upon looking down to her chest, she realizes that her breast has been squeezing itself underneath Alisa's half-zipped jacket. With the way Alisa's jacket is fitting more boobs than what it can and the winds fluttering said jacket, Black Heart could already see Alisa's bare breast! Blood was already rushing to the CPU's face and she is certainly going blank now.

"Oh!"

And Black Heart almost gasped her heart out.

"Are you alright?! You're flustered all of a sudden!"

"No, I'm fine…" Black Heart reassures, _"okay, sniff it back in. Nope. Not a single drop, Noire. Nope."_

After quickly and subtly stifling an embarrassment, Black Heart clears her throat, "anyway, you were saying?"

Alisa merely sets the matter aside, "the circuits are microscopic, I presume."

"Yes, and those circuits are what the Share energy we possess use to circulate throughout our bodies, though normally Shares circulate through our bodies directly. The Processor Sets improve that circulation to enhance our performance because HDD is Share energy demanding. Think of it as an overclock manager."

"I see," as Alisa takes it into account, she realizes something, "but then does that mean you're currently straining yourself?"

"Well, there's a limit to how long I can stay in this form without tiring myself out," Black Heart then recalls the 24-hour HDD run she started yesterday, "so long as I don't do anything that's severely extraneous like fighting a horde of viral monsters, I'll be fine for a week, at most."

"But there was a large horde attack yesterday."

Black Heart then sighs, "caught red-handed," and she makes a subtle 'teehee' clumsy pose afterwards.

Both girls then giggle. But as Black Heart recovers, she spots an enormous tree that's almost as tall as the mountains around the area. And, just as what she recalls, there beneath its branches is a ruined tower with a lit bonfire emitting smoke. It seems the tree was covering what smoke could have been spotted, Black Heart presumes.

"By the way, what brought on your interest in my Processor Set? If you intend on possessing something similar, then, unfortunately, you'll have to know that these things only work for CPUs," Black Heart informs Alisa as she begins descending to their destination.

"Ah, no, it's more of curiosity to what kinds of materials you use to craft items," Alisa clarifies, "back at Fenrir, we mostly use Aragami parts and salvaged materials to craft weapons, attire, medicine, even upgrades to our abilities."

"Oh, interesting. So your clothes are also made of Aragami parts?" Black Heart then perks up, _"from what I saw in the pictures, Sariels could make for some gorgeous cosplays!"_

"Oh, no. We make them out of salvaged materials," Alisa clarifies, "it'd be a waste to use Aragami parts on something mundane."

Black Heart suddenly jerks awkwardly, causing her to almost drop Alisa.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to… Uh…"

"No, its fine," Alisa reassures and looks below them, seemingly assessing their height, then nods upon confirming something, "you must be fatigued from flying around for a while. You can drop me off from here."

"Are you sure? It's some ways down," Black Heart observes and estimates their height to be at about 500 feet away from the bonfire and decreasing, "I can handle the way down."

Alisa just shakes her head gently, "no, it's fine. I can drop off from high places thanks to the Oracle cells," she then gestures her bracer on her right wrist. She follows by motioning her same arm, asking for her God Arc, "I'd hate to bother you."

Black Heart thinks of a way to insist but eventually gives in, though the delay it did mostly served to lessen the height while Alisa wasn't aware. Handing Alisa her God Arc, Black Heart descends towards the ruined tower. Once she loosens her arm around Alisa's waist, she slows down for a bit, letting Alisa to jump off the CPU.

Falling off at about 150 feet from the tower's top, passable platform, Alisa braces for a heavy impact, controlling her descent.

However, as Black Heart attempts to make her own landing…

"CAAAAW!"

Out of nowhere, a giant crow bursts out of the tree and pounces onto Alisa as she descended!

Its talons grate Alisa's quickly put up shield causing a cringe-worthy screech, protecting her from the giant crow's razor talons. However, due to the attack, her descend turns into an uncontrolled fall towards a deep ravine below!

Carefully observing the crow, Black Heart careens towards Alisa while making sure she doesn't get pounced on as well. She could still hear the cawing but it seems far enough that she can reach Alisa in time.

And she did reach her in time.

Not slowing down, Black Heart drops Alisa down onto the bonfire area before proceeding towards the incoming crow. She summons her weapon, Ascalon, and integrates it into a monochrome great sword. Facing the crow, Black Heart shouts her battle cry and swings her weapon with all her might!

A loud caw; a loud cry; a loud clash!

To the surprise of Black Heart, the crow parried her strike! Its talon now grips her great sword, holding it at bay while the other now capitalizes on the opening.

Black Heart would have none of it as she catches the talon with her other hand. This however, lessens the pressure on her other arm.

Feeling this, the crow, which is emanating in its purple viral stench, presses both talons and flaps its wings violently, adding force to its push. It violently closes its talon, pushing against Black Heart's arm, piercing the CPU's arm, gashing through her torso's side, and digging into her shoulder thoroughly to the bone.

Black Heart groans from the excruciating pain, her face like that of someone suppressing her loss of virginity. She could feel the talons piercing through her bones and, yet, it would be bad for her to lose stance now.

With all her strength, Black Heart grabs the crow by its talons and pulls it towards her back, "ALISA!"

And with the call, fresh hot bullets from the cold tundra of Russia blasts the exposed back of the Viral Giant Crow.

"Now, it's your turn to not run away!" Black Heart declares as she grips the crow's talons tighter than what the crow ever gave her.

It flails. It caws. But it cannot escape. Likely out of desperation, the crow lunges its giant beak onto the CPU.

Fortunately for Black Heart, the damage Alisa brought has weakened the crow's grip, letting her free her great sword from the crow's talons. With one powerful swing, Black Heart parries the giant peck and, with one graceful, deathly spin, ripostes the avian in its gut!

There was a loud caw, but the bird refuses to fall. It even grips the CPU's great sword stuck in its gut!

Alisa's minigun goes silent. Black Heart takes this as the cue that their counter-attack has momentarily ended. The bird once more attempts an attack with its other talon but the CPU parts with the avian.

 _"That really hurt,"_ Black Heart winces at the wounds she's gotten. Quickly, the CPU ingests a tuffmil as she flies away from the bird. She then takes a look at her Anti-Virus Patch.

Its luster is gone. Its filled with filthy taint. Its job is done. She discards the ornament and equips a new one.

This is going to be a long fight.

"Muscle Memory! Tech Training!" Black Heart casts her buffs onto herself. She then carefully flies towards Alisa who is now taking cover among the narrow ruins by some large, clay pots. Just as with herself, Black Heart casts the same buffs onto Alisa.

"That should help with your aim and attack power," Black Heart says as she takes in a Nep Bull III, "it's gonna get real annoying this time around."

"Wait," Alisa calls, prompting Black Heart to stop what she was doing, "drink this instead," and Alisa throws a Recovery Pill towards the CPU.

Black Heart gives her regards and ingests the pill. Surprisingly, it was strong enough to seal her wounds, though there were still residual damage.

"Keep your recoveries for now," Alisa says, "I'll keep healing you with Healing Bullets so you can focus on the fight."

"Got it."

"Also," Alisa calls, making Black Heart pause, "could you find a way to bring it to the tower?" Alisa then points to the structure she was supposed to make her landing, "I'll just give you the signal."

"I'll see what I can do."

Once again, the crow caws and dives for the CPU.

Black Heart wastes no time and intercepts the avian. Unlike last time, she dodges the crow's attacks. An opening is what Black Heart needed so as not to risk getting clawed like earlier.

Both CPU and crow were zipping above the ruins, looping, diving, and rising in a chaotic air ballet as Black Heart attempts to get the crow onto a bad position and the crow trying to impale the flying humanoid with any of its sharp talons or beak.

The crow then makes a dive. It misses!

Black Heart immediately makes a break for it and slashes one of the bird's wings.

It cuts through but the wing is still intact!

Surprised by the bird's durability, Black Heart backs off as the bird violently spins around, almost slapping the CPU with the same wing she was attempting to cut.

However, just as Black Heart gains some distance, the crow stances its wings wide and talons stretched. It didn't register as any behavior to adjust flying; it resembled someone when one is about to hurl something on both hands…

And its miasma around its body was thickening!

"Noire, look out!" Alisa shouts from below as the avian beats its wings, delivering a wave of purple miasma towards the CPU!

Black Heart immediately soars high, avoiding the wave she presumes to be some kind of Viral Wind. In any case, Alisa is nearing the tower as she passes by a hole at its base. She guesses it to be about time. Black Heart proceeds to fly towards a nearby aqueduct, prompting the avian to follow.

While Alisa ascends the ruined tower, she took notice of some hoarse gurgling and hissing behind her. Running towards her from somewhere were viral undead ready to greet her with incendiary bombs, sword slashes, axe swings, and incoherent undead swearing. Fortunately for the Russian girl, her Long Sword proved to be enough for their squishy, rotting flesh, though the stench of their undead guts would stain her crimson blade much to her apparent dismay.

But she has other things to worry.

Looking around her, she finds some platforms above her that cannot be reached unless jumping really high. Something she is capable. Before one of the undead could cull her with its rusting axe, Alisa jumps away from danger and hops a few more onto the collapsed steps of the ruined tower. Checking the area for a moment, she ascertains that none of them would be able to get to her for now. She continues her ascent and finally reaches a suitable spot by a giant nest. Probably the crow's. The place was covered in leaves, perfect for hiding a surprise attack, and there were several protruding branches around to snare an unsuspecting bird. She charges up her God Arc, readying one of her so-called Predator Styles.

"Noire!"

With Alisa in position, Black Heart beelines for the structure and passes in between the support columns of the gargantuan infrastructure.

The crow, however, passes above the aqueduct. Black Heart guesses that it is smart enough to not attempt to fit its wingspan where she passed.

 _"Guess I won't be catching it in a bad position."_

In any case, Black Heart leads the avian towards the tower.

The Avian again follows the bikini-clad CPU who just flew straight through the tree cover. Slowing down for a moment, the crow seemingly scans the place its target went in, its head making stiff, quick glances all over. Flying closer to the tree, particularly near where its nest was, it spots something moving from behind the wall. Strafing to get a better look, it spots a girl, waiting for it with a large, carnivorous-looking, three-pronged, purple maw sprouting from her sword's hilt. Probably out of instinct, the avian flies away from her but…

"Devour!"

At her command, Alisa triggers her God Arc's Devour Mode, causing the maw to grow larger and reach farther. Not giving the crow time to react, the maw's three prongs extend far and wide around the avian before biting viciously onto its prey, the sound of meat and bone getting ripped and crushed momentarily accompanies the crow's pained caw. Not done yet, Alisa begins pulling the avian down with the use of the large maw of her God Arc.

The bird flails but to no avail.

With one great cry, Alisa hurls the Viral Giant Crow into the trees, pricking the bird with the tree's equally oversized twigs and branches. Keeping her momentum, Alisa then pulls the bird down towards the base of the tower where a couple of unsuspecting viral undead were scaling the tower.

Then she jumps off from where she is standing to give herself more space to turn. Although, from Black Heart's perspective, that is a really bad idea.

"Alisa! Are you sure about what you're doing?!" Black Heart, who is currently circling back, notices what kind of reckless antic her partner is pulling, literally. She just hopes Alisa can really handle a fall.

"Yes. I. AM!" One loud declaration is followed by one louder pulverizing of rocks, then the sound of a power-up chime with her gaining an aura, and some crushed human carcass as well.

With the tower collapsing, parts of it fall off onto the cliff below. Any undead missed by the crow's crashing were instantly brought along the rockslide. As for the crow, the pieces of the tower pummel its infected body and, with an egg smashing itself onto its cranium, follows the rocks onto their impeding drop.

Alisa, on the other hand, is also met with a similar problem. Now she's also falling onto the cliff.

Thankfully, Black Heart catches her before she could, from the looks of it, scream a series of 'whoa'.

"Sorry, my bad. Got a little crazy," came Alisa's sheepish apology.

"Yeah, you did," Black Heart sighs as she lands both of them by a hole on the even-more-ruined tower's base. Still, the CPU is curious as to where that hole leads to with how there's a ladder leading down.

But that can be set aside for now.

Both girls scan their surroundings to make sure nothing else is going to welcome them with blades and talons. After a few moments of vigilant scouting, the girls relax. Battle over.

"Whew! That was some surprise. It looks like the rumors were true," Alisa comments as she settles her God Arc by her side.

"More like facts," Black Heart is shrouded by a light of binaries and, after an instant, is replaced by Noire. To the CPU's surprise and dismay however, her clothes are damp again, though not as much as before.

"Are there any locals we can inquire about? It would be easier if we ask someone whose been through these parts longer than us," Alisa suggests.

"True," Noire then moves towards some of the tower's rubble, "but only if there are any one else remaining," she says as she pokes an undead lying beneath the rocks, making sure if it really is double dead.

 _"This isn't a good sign,"_ Noire thought as she turns back to Alisa who now has an unhopeful look, _"if the virus has affected this much in a place as remote as this, what else could be waiting deeper?"_ Noire then gazes upon some walls from afar, high up the cliffs. As hopeful as she was when she read about the lands being relatively unconfirmed of viral infection, she isn't as optimistic as she was now that the signs are already spelling it out for her.

And those signs are spelling the words she doesn't want to hear.

"Um, maybe it's just these parts," Alisa speaks up, somehow, her demeanor looking strong this time, "who knows? The inner areas may still be safe from the virus. Judging from the looks of this area, it seems we're still at the outskirts."

True. There's a likely chance that the virus has yet to dominate these lands. And if what she says is right, then there may be hope to find what they seek. After all, a place untainted by that accursed virus should house something that's keeping its surroundings clean. Going by that logic, Noire gestures for the two of them to proceed. She keeps her ornate weapon at the ready, just in case something jumps out of nowhere again…

Kind of like now as an armored man emerges from the hole.

Noire and Alisa bring their weapons to their fore. Somehow, the two girls were unnerved, their feet cold all of a sudden. Something isn't right.

 _"This one is no ordinary opponent,"_ both of them thought.

As the man turns around, baring his sun-decaled chest plate and bucket-shaped helmet with a feather on its top, the suspicious man then grabs something like a cloth from his side. It's a brightly colored orange cloth to be precise.

Noire and Alisa were even more cautious. Something doesn't bode well with how this new 'being' is wielding an unlikely weapon. Anything unlikely is a bad thing in these situations.

And as they suspected, it really is trouble because this 'being' is now shaping a bolt of lightning from the piece of cloth!

Noire takes a deep breath and Alisa raises her God Arc's shield. This is what they were worried about. They could practically feel the power behind that bolt.

 _"We'd be like flailing fishes out of water when that thing ever hits us,"_ Noire thought.

The unknown 'being' then raises the bolt of lightning like a javelin about to be hurled.

Noire instantly goes into HDD.

Alisa readies her sidestep.

The Viral Giant Crow from before emerges from behind the girls!

Caught off guard with the caw from nowhere, Black Heart and Alisa turns around to see the talons of the crow about to pounce onto them.

But a lightning bolt to the crow's face would have none of that!

"Finish it off, now," the unknown 'being' declared, in a helmet-muffled, accented male voice no less, as it draws its shield and sword, both strangely themed with the sun.

Not even processing what the unknown 'being' said, Black Heart immediately readies her signature EXE Drive now that she's all warmed up. Alisa, meanwhile, pushes the crow back with a barrage from Mother Russia once more!

The barrage isn't as strong as the one before it but it proved sufficient to keep the crow from making any proper moves, what with the bullets peppering its eyes.

"Now's my chance," Black Heart declares as she finishes charging up her Share energy onto her subsequent weapon, "taste the power of Lastation's CPU's blade dance!"

[Infinite Slash .exe]

Black Heart lunges towards the ill-prepared crow, still recovering from an electrocuted body and pelted face.

The CPU's first slash lands square onto its neck, causing the avian to caw a cough.

Black Heart then turns around and slashes again at the wing she tried to cut earlier. Said wing finally snaps from the bird's body with a sickening crunch!

Once again, Black Heart turns around and cuts the bird's thigh!

Then the bird's torso…

Then it's back…

Then its other wing…

Black Heart relentlessly kept going until only the CPU could know what she was cutting!

The crow could not move nor fly. Heck, Black Heart was the one juggling the avian to keep it airborne!

 _"Now for the finale!"_

Black Heart then cuts through the avian's midsection and, upon turning back to face it, triggers her Torneraid Sword and lunges back at her target!

Another cut through its midsection, opening its guts…

Black Heart turns around and slashes upwards, chopping off its last wing…

From the air, Black Heart hurls her Torneraid Sword, impaling the avian and sending it falling below the cliff.

Black Heart descends nearby Alisa and the unknown helper. With the look of satisfied indifference, she raises her hand that once held her great sword and, with a snap of her fingers, causes the Torneraid Sword stuck on the bird to erupt into countless blades of light, tearing apart the bird from the inside.

The beautiful, bright spectacle could even be seen from where the three stood, much to the glee of the unknown helper and the awe of Alisa.

"Wonderful," the unknown helper applauded, "that finale you gave that wretched crow was certainly bright and beautiful. Almost like the sun!"

Deciding not to power down just in case, Black Heart approaches the lightning thrower, "thank you for the compliment but, if I must trust you, would you care to explain who you are?"

Just then, the individual pauses. Then he goes 'ah', displaying his realization of the clumsiness he made. He then sheaths his sword and shield. With the crow in peace (pieces), the need for weapons raised was gone. He then puffs out his chest and raises both arms into the air, tip-toeing as if to stretch his body high.

"I am Solaire of Astora, proud warrior, passionate admirer of the ever incandescent sun, and devout follower of its covenant, the Warriors of Sunlight," the man proudly declares before the two girls before finally resting his body, "I have just returned from a daily visit of a friend. As well as warming up."

Alisa and Black Heart then looks to the hole he came from. Their rather incredulous stare onto the abyss and then back to the man speaks of suspicion.

 _"Of course, anyone would visit a friend in an abyss to warm up,"_ what Black Heart thought sarcastically.

The man who calls himself Solaire seems to detect the untrusting stares from the girls and proceeds to clear up any prejudice they have, "I am telling the truth! My friend merely went through some circumstances and… Well, I don't really have any other reason."

In that brief pause, it seems like this 'man' went through something tragic. Black Heart decides that it wouldn't do each side any good to pry what he meant. They have something else better to know. But first…

"I see," Black Heart then reverts to her human form, "I am the CPU of Lastation, the Land of Black Regality, Noire. Also known as Black Heart."

Alisa then salutes, "Alisa Illinichina Amiella. Far East Fenrir Branch Sniper Sergeant."

"It is a pleasure meeting you, fair ladies," Solaire bows.

"We'd love to exchange pleasantries but we are in a hurry," Noire quickly says, "what has the land become? Are there any places not affected by the virus? Are there anything in these lands that could cure that disease?"

"I will answer those," Solaire points out, "but first, would you care to sit by the bonfire?"

Settling themselves by the bonfire with Noire leaning on a tree and the two others squatting by the bonfire, Solaire begins answering Noire's queries.

"First of all, these lands have just recently been afflicted by this virus you mention. All the way up to the Undead Burg up there and the sewers, catacombs, and Demon Ruins beneath, the virus has spread causing all the denizens to become smarter and stronger. Of course, those include undead beings as well."

Alisa then glances towards the cliff the crow fell. Suddenly, she wasn't feeling well after knowing that that bird wasn't the last.

Seeing the two girls sullen, Solaire then drops another important info to cheer them up.

"However," Solaire loudly says otherwise, "the city of Anor Londo may still be safe, though I haven't been there ever since the virus plagued the lands."

Noire instantly perks up, "can you tell us which direction it is?"

"The so-called city of the gods is situated at the top of those walls, past a proving grounds called Sen's Fortress," Solaire says as he points towards some medieval walls and structures above the ruins.

Noire then pushes herself off the tree, gesturing Alisa to stand up as well, "thank you for the tip. We'll be going now."

"Hold on," Solaire stands up quickly, gaining the attention of the CPU, "normally, I would ask for your approval to join you so as to bask in the rays of the sun along the way…"

 _"What?"_ Noire and Alisa thought.

"But, as you've already experienced, the skies of Lordran haven't been safe as of late. It's even a miracle you arrived here safely," Solaire added.

"You mean there are more of those crows?" Alisa asks grimly.

"No, not that crow," Solaire shakes his head, "that crow was just a ferry to and fro the Undead Asylum and is one of its kind. A pity it succumbed," Solaire then looks down, presumably a gesture of mourning for the bird.

"Then what kinds of dangers are there? Dragons and demons?" Noire almost sounds sarcastic upon suggesting those.

However, all Solaire did was a silent stare to the CPU.

In the background, distant roars could be heard. From where it came from, it seems to be from the direction Solaire mentions the 'city of the gods' to be. Squinting her eyes, Noire then sees a few dots buzzing over the grand walls blocking their view of the city. There were occasional sparks in the air of the said walls, an invisible sphere partially shaping with every spark.

"Some time ago," Solaire walks up to where Noire was, stopping only by a well at the edge of the cliff, "probably around the time the virus spread in these lands, the drakes of the Valley of the Drakes have all become aggressive," Solaire then points to the recurring sparks, "that would be the end result. In fact, these lands are now filled with crazed monsters roaming around wherever as they please."

Noire then looks to Solaire then back to the walls separating Anor Londo from the rest of the world.

"As powerful as you are, my fair Lady, I doubt you can properly fight with a girl in your arms," Solaire states as a matter of fact.

"I agree," Alisa raises her hand, "plus, it would be a good idea to have a local tag along. Just in case we encounter someone who might help."

"I see," Noire then considers with a thought, _"they aren't wrong and it would be beneficial to have a guide who knows about the monsters here."_

"If I may," Solaire then takes the attention of both girls, "what exactly are your reasons for venturing these treacherous, sun-bathed lands? Surely, you are not here in a pilgrimage."

"We're searching for any artifact or treasure that can cleanse the virus that's been spreading across Gamindustri. The same one that's making this place even more dangerous," Noire explains.

"I see," Solaire then rests his chin onto his hand, shifting his weight as well, "I'm not too familiar with any artifact that can cleanse this virus. In fact, if there was, it'd already been used… But!" Solaire then pounds his hand over the other.

"But?" Noire gestures for the man to continue.

"There is a large archive near Anor Londo that belonged to the deceased Seath the Scaleless, an everlasting dragon that spent all its life researching on immortality."

"Immortality?" Noire then considers the implications this could have. Tracing any possible connections between immortality and cleansing infection, Noire then lights up in a moment of hopeful conjecture.

"That's right. If that dragon obsessed himself with not ever dying, then…" Solaire says.

"He may have records stored in his archives about ways to protect or even combat infections and curses," Alisa continues.

"And have a by-product that is the result of that research!" Noire cheerfully finishes.

Noire and Alisa then look to each other expectantly. Seeing each other's hopeful expressions, their hearts fill with newfound determination.

"Except," Solaire, however, has something else to add.

Immediately, Noire and Alisa end their celebration.

"That by-product has already been destroyed."

And Noire's upbeat heart sinks upon hearing that.

"During the pilgrimage of a friend of mine to retrieve the Lord Souls bequeathed and possessed by certain powerful beings, he destroyed the Primordial Crystal that Seath created to keep himself alive and immune to all kinds of injury," Solaire then notices the girls' gloomy aftermath, "it would take visiting another world where it still exists to even find one but attempting to do so would be treacherously dangerous and outright tedious."

"We'll do it," Noire immediately replies, eyes determined to do what it takes, "time is precious and we really need to get what we can."

"It will be dangerous. The circumstances will be out of our control, most likely."

"Even so," Alisa adds in, "we'll do it. Besides, it'll be less tedious than having to read books and papers in some archive."

Noire waits for a response from the sun fanatic. With how Solaire is looking at the two of them, he seems to be assessing whether they were capable.

Finally, after a brief silence, Solaire sighs and then chuckles gleefully, "you two remind me of that same friend. Brash and adventurous but altogether resolute."

Noire only smirks at that compliment, _"there's a purple haired dolt that rubbed that off on me, though,"_ she then looks to Alisa who is also wearing that same smirk, _"wonder if it's the same with her?"_

"Very well," Solaire gestures as he shifts towards where they would be heading, "follow me. We'll be going through the proving grounds so better get yourselves ready… though, I don't need to remind you of that," and Solaire chuckles once again.

With that, the three unlikely band of warriors travel forth.

"Onwards, to the city of the gods!" Noire declares to which the other two cheers back.

* * *

[Lastation Basilicom, Lastation, Hyperdimension, 20XX – Meanwhile…]

Kei enters her office, slowly pacing towards the cupboard with a long, tired sigh. With most of the tasks currently handled and in progress, she decides to take a short break so as not to maintain productivity later on. Picking up a mug by the coffee brewer, she pours some hot hard coffee for herself. Taking in the wafting aroma, she stirs her mug a little before taking a sip off of it.

Bitter. Just as what she needed.

With something to keep her going for a while, she decides to check on her mails for now. Something not so tedious yet productive should suffice to keep her working momentum going. Opting not to sit, she shifts her weight a little towards the desk and, with a few clicks of the mouse, opens up her mailbox.

"Emergency? From Mina?" Kei then furrows her brows. This could be serious. She opens it finds that it has been carbon copied to the other Oracles and the CPUs and Candidates.

However, just as Kei is about to read the contents, heavy running steps and an abrupt opening of her office doors took her glance away from the email.

There by the door was a Basilicom staff member, albeit distressed and huffing from what was probably a mad dash.

"Trouble… In flames… Deoxys…" The Basilicom staff member incoherently said in between gasps for air.

"Catch your breath first, then talk," Kei decides to check the email while the staff person recovers. Taking a sip off her coffee once more, she begins reading the email…

And, out of sheer horror, Kei drops her mug and dashes outside of her office, the staff member following suit.

Urgent orders of all the worst kinds reverberate through the halls of the Lastation Basilicom. Sirens sound off to place all of the nation under red alert.

Never has Lastation went into this level of emergency ever since the ASIC Crisis. But now there is a very good reason to do so.

For in Kei's monitor screen read:

"MAYDAY!

VIRAL DEOXYS HORDE ATTACK! REQUESTING BACK UP!

LOWEE CANNOT LAST ANY LONGER!"

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[Nepstation A.N.]

Neptune: "Hey, there! This is Nepstation A.N.!"

Blanc: "Its the not-really-part-of-the-plot program or, in this case, section where we talk about anything about the story with complete disregard of the 4th wall as well as messages from the author."

Neptune: "By the way, the 'A.N.' stands for Author's Note. Now that we got that short intro out of the way..."

Neptune's face the turns from cheery to pouty.

Neptune: "WHAT THE NEP IS UP WITH YOU, AUTHOR?! THE DIFFICULTY'S WAY TOO HIGH! EVEN THE GAMES WEREN'T THIS HARD WITH TOUGH ENEMIES TURNED ON!"

Blanc: "Calm down, Neptune. Its part of the story being serious."

Neptune: "YEAH, BUT YOU CAN'T JUST START OFF THE STORY WITH THREE LONG CHAPTERS OF EXTREMELY DIFFICULT ENEMIES!"

Blanc: "We got breaks among them, though."

Neptune: "I don't understand how you're so calm about this, Blanc. Aren't you supposed to be cursing and indiscriminately breaking stuff right now? Lowee's getting burned, y' know?"

Blanc: "I know that but this part isn't really part of the story and, besides, I'm reserving all my anger for the next chapter."

Blanc raises a stress ball. When Neptune got a good look, it suddenly burst.

Blanc: "Ah, it broke again. Oh well."

Blanc grabs another stress ball and starts squeezing it again."

Neptune: _"She's definitely pissed off. I better not try anything that will make her replace that stress ball with my neck."_

Blanc: "In any case, we better send the author's message now."

Neptune: "Alrighty, now... *ahem* the author would like to thank ya'll still keeping up with his story. It took a while but he's still working on the story, even if its taking a Plummet's pace."

Blanc: "He's also sorry if the chapters are too long. It just sort of happened whenever he's writing... Huh? I could kinda relate to that."

Neptune: "Fun fact! This fanfic is actually a self-imposed challenge to see if the author himself can manage to characterize characters from other games he hasn't played yet with only just descriptions from wikias and peers. It's kinda like an exercise to know if he can execute properly by just reading or listening to other people."

Blanc: "Its an unspoken rule to never write a fanfic of a franchise you haven't experienced yet but, for the sake of improving himself for his career, he's hoping for your understanding. It would help if you, the reader, would point out his mistakes, particularly on how he characterizes the Characters, and inform him so his subsequent fics would be better."

Neptune: "Also, author dude's interested in having his OC make an appearance in other authors' fanfic. Neptunia fanfics only, by the way. He's planning on telling a story subtly through that before writing a crossover fic using the many crossovers his OC appeared in."

Blanc: "Please refer to his profile page for more info on his OC. Inquiries will be entertained by sending him a PM."

Neptune: "And that's all, folks! Blanc, the next chapter's about your nation so... Take it away!"

Blanc:

"Flames rising...

People screaming...

CPUs in distress...

And the aurora of doom looms over the falling nation of Lowee as the very warriors protecting the Motherland turns against her...

Next time on Hyperdimension Neptunia VI: Viral Insurrection,

'A Legendary Crisis'."


End file.
